Fourteen Dates
by Tintinnabula
Summary: A world weary Sakura has awoken Kakashi from a Sharingan induced coma, and to feelings that he's repressed for years. The copy ninja decides it's finally time for her to learn how he feels. Reviews are welcome!
1. Prologue

_Disclaimer: Naruto and associated characters are property of Masashi Kishimoto. They are not my property!_

Fourteen Dates

Chapter 1– Prologue

"Only about twenty more minutes," Sakura thought to herself as she leapt gracefully from tree to tree. It was a beautiful, chilly Saturday morning in late spring, the type of clear morning that sometimes leads to an unseasonably warm afternoon. Sakura was on her way to see her dear friend and _Kyuubi _container Uzamaki Naruto, who was currently training with a certain _hentai sannin _at a hot spring resort deep within Fire country. Sakura and Naruto had not seen each other in months, and Sakura was eager to spend the weekend with the eager, terminally optimistic blond. About Jiraiya, she wasn't so sure. She'd never spent more than five minutes around the old codger, and hoped to avoid him as much as possible over the course of her short stay at the resort. That meant she probably wouldn't be using the facilities, of course. She had no doubt he'd carved out a multitude of peepholes through which to observe the female bathers. Sakura sighed. A hot, hot bath in the resort's mineral-enriched waters would feel so good right about now. She'd been running and leaping through the canopy for hours, and could feel the blisters beginning to form where her sandals rubbed against her Achilles tendon. Her back ached from the crouch her body had found itself in as she continually dodged low-hanging branches. She could almost feel the swirling waters of the baths soothing her sore muscles.

Sakura wondered what Naruto had managed to learn from Jiraiya in these past few months. He'd written to her frequently, but not much about his studies. Rather, his letters entertained (and embarrassed her) with frequent, detailed descriptions of Jiraiya's attempts to spy on the women visiting the hot springs. Sakura knew that at some point in the debauchery that defined his training with Jiraiya, Naruto had learned to summon frogs, but that had been long ago, at the very start of his studies with the _sannin_. Naruto was twenty four now, as she was, and he had come back to the sannin for more. More what? Perhaps Naruto was as big a _hentai _as the _sannin_. Sakura's face reddened. Hopefully, Naruto wouldn't ask her to stay with them. She'd be much happier (and safer) with a room in the inn, proper. Jiraiya was a huge customer for the resort, so much so that they'd allowed him to purchase a cottage on the property. Apparently, he wasn't as bad for business as might be expected, given his choice of avocation. And he had deep pockets, due to the brilliant success of his _Icha, Icha _series. Sakura guessed the cottage was not rented cheaply.

Sakura smiled as she jumped down from the trees and walked briskly into the resort. She'd thought of the perfect excuse. Not only that, her eyes had immediately detected her blond-haired friend, who as usual was wearing the rather loud orange jumpsuit that was ridiculously out of place given his career choice of _shinobi_. "Stealthy," "user of camouflage," "spy-like" were words that described _shinobi_. But not Naruto, of course. He was none of those things, and still one of the best the village had ever produced. He would become _Hokage_, there was no doubt of that. And he would do it in his own inimitable fashion.

Naruto appeared to notice new eyes on him and looked up, then burst into a run as he realized who was watching him.

"Sakura! You made it!" He tackled her in his enthusiasm, and the two hit the ground with some force, surprising the women and some couples who were on their way to the baths.

"Naruto!" Sakura yelled, and without thinking her fist flew to pound him on the top of his head. She immediately regretted it, although Naruto didn't care. He expected it of her, not realizing how hard she'd worked over the past few years to rein in her emotions. Flying off the handle did little to gain and keep the trust of patients, and Sakura found her _chakra _was even easier to control when she was calm. But old habits die hard and Naruto could push her buttons as easily now as he'd been able to do twelve years earlier. Of course, the button-pushing was unintentional. Naruto was still as dense concerning interpersonal relationships as he had been as a preteen, and still as open, and tactless, in expressing his own feelings.

Naruto quickly found his footing and danced around the _kunoichi_, delight telegraphed by his hyperactive movements. _He isn't much different from that twelve-year-old gennin I once knew_, Sakura thought to herself. Taller, more handsome, certainly, but underneath the physical changes he was still the same boy. Sakura stood up, brushed herself off and tuned into her friend's aimless prattle.

"You're staying with us, right, Sakura? Not at the inn. Jiraiya had the cleaning staff make up a special room for you. Did you want to take a bath, Sakura? You look a little beat, you know. You work too hard, everyone says that, you know. Even Sasuke, and he hardly notices anything! Are you hungry, Sakura? They don't have decent ramen at the restaurant here, and there's no other place within a day's hike, so guess what! I learned how to make ramen myself. You know, after a while, cup ramen does get a bit boring. Ha! I bet you never thought you'd hear me say that, huh? But Jiraiya-sannin has a huge kitchen and it turns out I can cook! I even make the noodles myself, Sakura. Can you believe that? It's almost as good as the stuff at Ichiraku! I made pork ramen and _miso _ramen for today, but I can make any type you'd like– just let me know! Sakura? Sakura?" He paused to look at the woman who had been trying, unsuccessfully, to get a word in edgewise for quite some time. A look of frustration was evident on her face, and her fists were balled up. Her voice was calm as she spoke, however.

"Naruto-kun, lunch sounds great. I can't wait to try your ramen." A broad smile lit up Naruto's face at these words. "But I can't stay with you. I'm sorry. Tsunade-kama has me doing a strict routine of meditation before bed, and she was adamant that I be undisturbed. Her orders were that I take a room at the inn." Naruto looked a bit crestfallen at these words, which weren't exactly true– Tsunade _had _assigned her a routine of meditation several years ago, which had worked wonders in producing a calmer, more serene Sakura, but the Hokage had never placed stipulations on where Sakura was to do the meditation. This small lie, however, accomplished Sakura's objective, to stay as far away from the _sannin _as possible, whenever she was in a state of undress. Naruto accepted her excuse at face-value, as the _kunoichi _expected he would. _Sometimes it pays to have a friend as dense as Naruto_, Sakura thought with an internal snicker.

Sakura decided she didn't mind paying for her room, which was sure to be fairly expensive, given the look of this place and its idyllic location. She owed herself a vacation and some luxury, after all. Tsunade had reached a level of frustration with Sakura that the pink-haired kunoichi had rarely felt from the Hokage (although she'd witnessed it focused on others). Sakura hadn't taken a vacation in three years, and the master medic-nin had begun to worry about Sakura's continued health, should her workaholism continue. She therefore forced this weekend vacation on Sakura, claiming that the scroll she was to deliver to Jiraiya couldn't wait until lower-ranked _chunnin _became available. It was clear to both the Hokage and her apprentice that the excuse for this "mission" was one of the lamest both had ever heard, but as it was a "mission," and Tsunade made it clear that Sakura could not refuse, Sakura had complied, and to her surprise found she was not that angry about being manipulated into a short vacation.

Sakura followed Naruto down a narrow, gravel path that led through a grove of fir trees, laden with unlit ceramic lanterns. _This would certainly be pretty at night_, Sakura, thought, _or if it snowed_. The path ended at a small cottage of traditional build. It might be centuries old– it had been made by master craftsmen, surely. This was evidenced by the tightness of the joins in the jutting beams that supported the roof and overhung the porch, and the fact that ropes, not nails were used to bind the beams together.

Naruto slid the door open and called out. "Jiraiya-sannin? She's here!"

As Sakura's eyes adjusted to the dim room she entered, she saw the pervert S-class shinobi. His mane of snow-white hair reflected the small amount of light in the room, and his face looked rugged, not wrinkled in this atmosphere. He was quite handsome for a man of his age and Sakura wondered idly if he did more than observe when he did research for his books. Tsunade had a love-hate relationship (or more accurately put, a hate-love relationship) with the man, and was sure to pump Sakura for details of the man's activities when she returned to Konoha. Sakura was suddenly pulled from these thoughts by the belated realization that the sannin was looking at her intently, and she shivered with disgust as the man looked her up and down, then up again, his gaze finally settling just below her neck. Sakura suddenly felt as if she were completely naked, and was thankful she had convinced Naruto of her obligation to stay at the inn, not in this house. She was also thankful that her jounin uniform was not in the least revealing and left an awful lot to the imagination. Of course, with an imagination like that of Jiraiya, that was not necessarily a good thing.

"Lunch, Naruto? I'm dying to try your ramen." Sakura moved closer to her friend and pushed him gently toward the doorway that led out of the room.

"Don't leave so soon! Naruto, I didn't realize who Sakura was when you mentioned she was coming for a visit. I had completely forgotten about this vision of loveliness. Tell me," Jiraiya said with a leer, "have you ever modeled, Sakura?"

Sakura blushed a pink much deeper than the color of her hair, and stuttered, "N-n-no! I'm a shinobi, after all." She remembered the supposed purpose of this "mission" and fumbled in her pack for the scroll she was to deliver to the _sannin_. While doing so, she forced herself to breathe and gain control of her emotions. She located the scroll and handed it to the man, who quickly placed it among the folds of his yukata. Apparently he was headed for the baths, given his attire. Sakura noticed a large sketchbook and charcoal pencils on the table before him, and guessed what his afternoon's activities would be.

"That never stopped my models before. Most of them are kunoichi, also." He winked at the nonplused woman who had already returned to the doorway, the very farthest spot in the room from the _hentai_. "I've already eaten, Naruto, and I have some things to attend to. See you in a bit." He smiled again at Sakura as the two jounin left the room and headed for the kitchen.

"I forgot. I have something for you, also." Sakura pulled out a thick, vanilla-scented letter and passed it across the kitchen table to her friend.

"Another letter from Hinata! She is such a great correspondent." Naruto smiled as he tore open the envelope.

_Baka,_ Sakura thought to herself. It was clear from things Hinata had mentioned to Sakura over the years that the pale-eyed head of the Hyuugi clan still carried a torch for the knuckle-headed ninja. It was also clear from the expression on Naruto's face as he said those words that he had yet to realize it. _They'd make a darling pair,_ Sakura thought, trying to read Naruto's face as he began to read through the letter, lunch forgotten for a moment. _He's not eating, or even thinking of eating. Does that mean...? _But no, he was merely distracted, as he often was. After another minute of reading he remembered his purpose in the room (and one of the major purposes in his life) and set to work ladling out ramen into two very large bowls.

"_Gohan da yo!"_

A great deal of slurping ensued, as Naruto polished off bowl after bowl of the noodle-thick soup. Sakura agreed this was very good ramen, and in her opinion, easily as good as that served by Ichiraku. She told Naruto this, and thought his smile might cause his face to split in two.

After Naruto's fourth bowl, when he did not appear to be quite as focused on the act of eating as he had been previously, Sakura decided to broach the subject of love interests.

"Have you been seeing anyone, Naruto?"

"Seeing anyone? Well, _ero-sennin_ makes me take a peep every now and then. It's either that or do the _sexy no jutsu _for him, week after week..." He blushed in embarrassment, obviously misunderstanding Sakura's question.

"No, _baka_, I meant are you dating anyone?"

"No, Sakura. Are you? Hey, are you asking me for a date?" His eyes lit up and sparkled at the thought.

Sakura sighed. She had thought Naruto was over his unrequited love for her. After all, she had finally gotten over Sasuke, and that only took three years.

"No, Naruto," she said gently. Her meditation practice really was working. She would have pounded him if he'd asked that same question two years ago. "I'm not seeing anyone, and I really have no desire to do so. My work keeps me busy, and I'm good with things the way they are." Sakura had never really dated, apart from a failed relationship with Sasuke. When Sasuke had returned from his time with Orochimaru and Itachi, with one of his life's major goals accomplished, he had turned his sights on the girl who had been his Penelope. He'd told her in no uncertain terms that he was not in love with her, would most likely never fall in love with her, but that he had the rebuilding of his clan to think of, and she was a suitable candidate to assist in accomplishing this, given her feelings for, and loyalty to him. Sakura, at that point mistaking her obsession with the Uchiha for mature love, had misinterpreted the stabbing feeling in her heart that these words provoked for the feeling of willingness to sacrifice she'd heard love often produces. She gladly dated Sasuke for a while, until she realized it wasn't love she felt. Though she'd never had feelings for another, she saw this clearly. She'd salvaged her pride by immediately dumping Sasuke and he'd repaid her by going after her sometimes-best friend, Ino. The two had married as soon as they were able, and Ino was now carrying his fourth child. Sakura harbored no hard feelings toward either of them, and after a time, their friendship had resumed, in a slightly altered, and certainly more comfortable form.

"I'm not dating anyone, either." Naruto's response to her earlier question roused Sakura from her thoughts. "No one stays around this place long enough to date."

_But that sounds like he is at least thinking of women. This was something new. _Sakura smiled as she realized her friend had finally matured to the point where he might find love. "Naruto. What do you think of Hinata?"

"Hinata? She's a great friend." He looked at the letter that lay next to his almost-consumed bowl of ramen, and suddenly his face was illuminated. "Sakura? Do you think Hinata..."

"Likes you? Well, duh, Naruto. For twelve years, now. Sheesh. You really are dense if you haven't figured that out by now." She very nearly slugged him.

"Maybe I should write back to her."

"Hasn't she been writing you pretty regularly? You mean to say, you've never replied? _Baka_!" She did slug him. He really deserved it. That poor girl. She must have the patience of a saint. Or maybe she was slightly obsessed, as Sakura herself had been. It was a lot easier to set your sights on something unattainable than be rejected in ordinary circumstances. And love did carry with it a very high risk of rejection.

"Naruto, does your _sensei _have a regular schedule for his _hentai _activities?" Sakura had noticed there were several baths on the premises, as well as a naturally heated spring. Maybe she'd be able to bathe unnoticed if she timed things just right. Sakura realized how sore she was from this morning's traveling. She didn't go on enough missions, that was for sure. Her life revolved around the hospital and she realized she just might be getting out of shape. That was something she'd need to address. She'd worked long and hard to become a _jounin_. She should be putting all of her skills to use, not just the medical ones.

"Well today is Saturday, so _ero-sennin's _probably at the main bath. It tends to be the most crowded on weekends. You should be safe if you go to the spring. I can distract him if you like."

"Would you? You're the best, Naruto!" Sakura tripped off to the main inn, to find a room and relax for a few hours. Coming here really had been a great idea.

Ooooo...oooooO

Jiraiya knew his student well enough to know that he'd attempt to protect his former teammate's virtue. He also knew Naruto well enough to know exactly which bath he'd suggest as safest. Naruto was not very observant and therefore wouldn't recognize that the Jiraiya peering through the bamboo fence at the large bath was a clone. Jiraiya took the form of an elderly woman (who, confusingly, had a very lush, and age-inappropriate coiffure of long white hair) and made his way to the hot spring where he was sure to find Sakura.

He was not disappointed. Sakura emerged from the changing room, her chin-length hair slightly damp from the washing she had done within. She tested the water with her toe, smiled at its luxuriant warmth and with a single, graceful motion, let her white yukata drop on the rocks that lined the edge of the stream. She certainly was lovely, Jiraiya thought to himself as he observed her naked form. One of the prettiest he'd ever had the pleasure to sketch. Certainly as lovely as an old friend had described. He hadn't used names but it couldn't have been anyone else who had so smitten his biggest fan. He'd described her startlingly green eyes, wide and innocent, the pale perfection of her unusual pink hair and the glowing ivory of her skin. Yes, he'd been drunk when he'd made this confession several years before, and had seemed disgusted with himself at lusting after a girl who was only seventeen and moreover who trusted him so unreservedly. But he couldn't help himself from describing to the master storyteller (and more than adequate artist) how perfectly gazelle-like she seemed on her long legs, how her smile lit up her face and made her even more beautiful than before it graced her countenance. How, unbelievably, she was even more stunningly enchanting when angry. And how she was completely unaware of all of this– of his feelings, by purposeful design on her teacher's part, and of her own beauty. It was very clear that she labored under the misconception that she was plain, if not downright ugly.

Jiraiya hoped the lovely _kunoichi _before him would linger. He could devote an entire sketch pad to this beauty. And perhaps his next novel, too.


	2. It’s Definitely Time to Head Back Home

_Disclaimer: Naruto and associated characters are property of Masashi Kishimoto. They are not my property!_

Fourteen Dates

Chapter 2– It's Definitely Time to Head Back Home

She was definitely glad she'd come to the resort. Not just because of the hot, steaming stream in which she found herself. It was great to see her friend, and surprisingly, Jiraiya had kept his distance, seemingly respecting the need the two former teammates had for some time alone. Sakura had spent several hours the day before helping Naruto write a letter to Hinata. With his characteristic unbounded enthusiasm, Naruto had decided Hinata was definitely someone he wanted in his life, but as subtlety was not one of his strengths, his letter to Hinata has been somewhat...crude. After lecturing Naruto on what it is that girls really want, and what they tended to expect in a suitor, Sakura had severely edited the words Naruto had put on paper. In truth, the final version of the letter contained almost her words entirely. But Naruto was very pleased with it, and Sakura had told him she'd be more than pleased to carry it back with her the next day.

Sakura and Naruto had taken the opportunity to spar that afternoon and this morning. Naruto had held back, as Sakura was no match for him even when in the best of physical shape, but even so, she had quickly confirmed that indeed she had some work to do if she wanted to remain a jounin-quality shinobi. The thought was depressing, but more depressing was the idea that she'd allowed her skills to slip. Her body was sore, as sore as she'd been as a twelve-year old after the first few training sessions as gennin, with the sadistic, yet strangely lovable Hatake Kakashi. However, unlike the training sessions twelve years ago, today relief had been only a few footsteps away. The natural stream flowing from the hot spring had been widened and deepened years ago to accommodate a bathing hole of sorts, and flat rocks had been placed along its inner walls to serve as benches. Sakura relaxed on one of these, stretching her legs along the bench and leaning back on her elbows so that as much of her body as possible was covered by the steaming water. This was truly bliss.

How strange that no one else was here, except for the elderly artist she'd seen at this site yesterday. This was easily the most lovely spa Sakura had ever visited, and she felt completely at home here. The smell of fir was intoxicating. Its pungent odor was everywhere– even the water was fragranced by the needles that fell on its surface and swirled in its eddies. Perhaps village dwellers didn't appreciate nature as much as she did, Sakura mused. As a shinobi she was quite an accomplished outdoorsman, and she relished the freedom that was represented by the running water and trees surrounding her. Or maybe the bathers at the more typical large pools closer to the inn were closet exhibitionists. They'd have to be, assuming they knew Jiraiya was watching. They must know he was watching– they'd certainly feel the eyes of the ero-sennin upon them. That feeling was unmistakeable.

Sakura sat up and stretched her arms over her head, then draped one over the wall she was leaning against. She felt eyes upon her, of course, but it was only that sweet-faced elderly woman she'd seen yesterday. Sakura noticed her long, thick hair, and hoped that hers would be as thick and full when she approached that age. Apparently the woman was working on a series of studies– she'd gone through quite a few pieces of paper in the last hour, and although Sakura couldn't see her face at the moment, the position of the old woman's body showed she was clearly engrossed in her work. Sakura stood and pushed off the bench, dog paddling to the center of the pool. It was too deep for her to be able to stand, so she took the opportunity to float on her back for a while. The high mineral content of the water made her slightly more buoyant than normal, and Sakura was amused that more of her body floated above the waterline than usual. The day was slightly colder than the previous, and her flesh reacted to the difference between the temperature of the water and the rather nippy air. It was then that Sakura heard a strange sound– sort of a gasping choke, and Sakura flipped over, treading water as she tried to locate the source of that noise.

It was the sweet faced elderly woman, Sakura immediately saw. And she had... a nosebleed? Quite a nosebleed. Did she have some type of clotting disorder? Sakura quickly climbed out of the pool, grabbed her yukata and ran to the woman. Her medic skills would come in handy, it seemed. But Sakura was surprised to see the woman grab her art supplies and run, much faster than she would have guessed a woman of that age could manage. The woman's mane of long white hair trailed behind her, and Sakura suddenly realized that she had been had.

Furious, Sakura ran back to the changing room, grabbed her clothes and dashed after the _hentai_. She should have known he'd try something. The way he'd looked at her when she'd entered his home should have told her this. Though she'd soaked in the spring for the past two hours, Sakura felt more dirty now than when she'd arrived at the spa. Dirty as only the _ero-sennin_ could make a person feel. What she would do to him! She fumed as she pushed chakra to her bare feet, barely feeling the fir needles that cushioned her path.

He made it to the cottage first, of course. He wasn't an S-ranked shinobi for nothing. Sakura pounded in after him, her face cerise, her eyes flashing, nearly knocking down Naruto as she did so. The door to his room was western-style, unlike the other doors in the cottage, and Sakura quickly saw the reason for this. It was locked with a deadbolt that was undoubtedly fortified by some _jutsu_. Sakura considered breaking the door down. Tsunade had shown her the secret to enormous strength, and a door would require little more than a tap from Sakura's now expert fingers.

She restrained herself, however, and moved to the living room to collect her wits. Naruto was waiting there, eyes wide. Even he had put two and two together. The clone Jiraiya was not as good a conversationalist as the real thing. This hadn't been apparent while they were stationed outside Jiraiya's favorite peephole at the bath, as their usual conversation was a series of grunts, but as they'd walked back to the cottage together for a light snack of ramen Naruto had realized finally that something was wrong. Jiraiya-clone kept remarking about the weather. "Do you think we'll get a late snow?" he'd asked enough times for Naruto to clue in. Naruto _was _smart enough to play dumb about this realization, however. Better to let Sakura think he was a complete idiot than bear even a portion of her wrath.

"He was there the whole time, Naruto! Both baths! And I was so stupid, I didn't even realize it was him! The man is so vain he didn't even change his hair, and I'm so damn inobservant that I didn't even notice. Some jounin, huh? I even waved to him yesterday! Arrgh!" Sakura smashed the kontatsu in front of her, then looked around the room for something else to destroy. Naruto quickly ducked out of her way, and hurried down the hall to talk to his sensei.

Jiraiya emerged, a bit shaken, from his bedroom/fortress. He had forgotten Sakura was a student of Tsunade. He was really in for it, he realized, if not from the woman in front of him, then from the woman he'd loved all of these years. He'd felt he'd been making some progress of late. The scroll Tsunade had sent him as Sakura's "mission" had been no more than a friendly letter– much more friendly than in years past . She'd devoted several lines to times they'd shared in the past and she'd even hinted about spending some time together in the near future, with the excuse that she'd heard great things about the resort and a nearby casino. But the bird in the hand often caused Jiraiya to ignore the one in the bush, and this was certainly the case here. Like his student, Jiraiya was not known for his impulse control.

Jiraiya looked at Sakura sheepishly, and the woman was struck by the truly apologetic look on his face. "I beg your forgiveness, Sakura-san," he said meekly. "I really should know better. It's just that you have been spoken of so highly by...your admirers."

Sakura whirled around to look at Naruto. Had he been discussing her in graphic detail with his _sensei_? For once, Naruto appeared to read her thoughts. The terror on his face and violent shaking of his head told her, that no, he hadn't been discussing her. He was too protective of her to do that, anyway. What was the old man talking about, then?

She noticed the _hentai _was holding a sheaf of paper, which he quickly handed to her as she approached.

"These are yours," he said. "Could we keep what happened between us?"

Sakura did not answer. Instead she walked outside and examined them. The first few pages were studies of her face. She saw that she had been smiling, eyes closed, head leaned back, utterly relaxed and unaware. That was strange. These pictures were not what she'd expected. She'd predicted the man would focus on other attributes of her physique. As she turned to the next pages, her prediction was confirmed. There she was, completely naked of course, stretching, floating, and in some other poses she did not recognize, and most definitely had not demonstrated. Sakura's cheeks flamed anew as she performed a minor _jutsu _to set the papers alight. She dropped them and watched them burn to ashes, then returned inside with a small smile on her face.

"You're afraid of Tsunade-sama, aren't you, _hentai_?" Sakura asked quietly, already knowing the answer. She'd never heard of Jiraiya behaving so meekly before, and she was aware from Tsunade's stories that though many years had passed since they'd worked together, he was still somewhat enchanted by her. "I probably should have kept those to share with her. I think the unvarnished truth will be enough, though. She has a good imagination." Sakura smiled a sweet, false smile and looked into Jiraiya's eyes.

"What will it take for you not to tell?" She had him on the ropes, that was clear.

"I don't know." She thought for a moment, and her eyes gleamed as she realized the power she now had over the man. "You now owe me a favor. Absolutely anything I want that doesn't involve bodily harm. I'm not sure when I'll call it in– it could be today, next month, a few years from now, but whatever I request you'll do for me. Gladly and without hesitation. Understood?" She'd never thought she would use that tone of voice or form of address with a man so clearly her superior. But he deserved it, and she found she couldn't resist.

"_Hai_." He seemed relieved, Sakura noticed. Should she have asked for more?

"Well, then, is there anything you'd like me to take back to Konoha? It's definitely time to head back home."

"Just a moment, Sakura-san." Jiraiya hurried back to his room and shut the door. He found the scroll he'd prepared in reply to Tsunade's then spent a moment flipping through the rest of the sketches he'd drawn in the past two days, a contented smile on his face. He'd only given the worst ones to Sakura. He'd wait until he'd fulfilled the favor before publishing these. He already had some ideas, though, about the story he'd be writing. He might even have enough ideas for a new series, focused on the exploits and sexual escapades of a beautiful pink-haired kunoichi. He'd call it _Icha, Icha Goddess._


	3. A Woodland Surprise

_Disclaimer: Naruto and associated characters are property of Masashi Kishimoto. They are not my property!_

**Fourteen Dates **

**Chapter 3–A Woodland Surprise**

Sakura was glad to leave the resort and moved quickly through the forest, figuratively shaking the dust from her sandals. She'd have three deliveries to make once she made it back to Konoha. Her first delivery would be the letter for Hinata. Sakura couldn't wait to see the expression on the pearl-eyed beauty's face once she realized that her Naruto-kun had actually responded to her letter. Sakura giggled aloud, forgetting the need for quiet while traveling alone. The second delivery would be the scroll Jiraiya asked her to give to Tsunade. Normally this would be the most important delivery, but Sakura would be arriving back in town one day early, and did not care to incite a lecture from her _sensei _punctuated by the sounds of another wooden desk cracking. The third delivery had been thrust upon her by Jiraiya, who'd come running after her as she made her way through the resort's gates. It was a brown paper-wrapped package, presumably a book, and the recipient was to be Hakate Kakashi, her former sensei. She'd deliver it whenever she saw him, which wasn't likely to be anytime soon. Kakashi no doubt would be happy to receive the package, though. It was probably the latest _Icha, Icha _book. Jiraiya had spoken about a book tour he'd be starting soon, so a new volume must have been published recently.

Sakura hadn't thought about Kakashi in quite some time. Now she found herself preoccupied with him. It had been months since she'd last seen him, and then only in passing. They'd crossed paths near Tsunade's office, he returning from one of the solo-missions he'd come to specialize in after leaving teaching years ago, and she just leaving Tsunade's office, laden with scrolls containing medical _jutsu _to be memorized by morning. She could see the smile in his eye as she'd struggled not to drop the collection. Of course he hadn't offered to help. It was obviously much more amusing to him to watch her struggle. She'd glowered at him, and pushed past him to her office. She'd almost made it to her desk when the scrolls began to slide out of her grasp, in a tiny avalanche. Sakura had groaned as she dropped to her hands and knees to collect the scrolls. Several had rolled under her desk.

"You know," a soft baritone voice had said, "all you had to do was ask." Sakura pulled her head out from under the desk and looked up to see her former sensei leaning casually against the door frame, hands in pockets in usual, slightly slouched. Sakura glowered at him again, and he laughed.

"You were always my favorite student, you know. I'd do anything for you, Sakura-chan." Sakura's face became flushed, then, not by his comment, but by the realization that he'd certainly gotten a very clear look at her upturned rump as she'd searched under the desk for the scrolls. She looked down at her shoes as she tried to lose the blush that stained her cheeks.

"I see you've retained your unique brand of humor, Kakashi." She'd left off the honorific. A pervert like him hardly merited it. But then she'd looked up and noticed he was no longer there. He'd made some sort of half-hearted effort to interact, and left in the middle of it.

That, in a nutshell, described the quality of interaction she'd had with Kakashi, ever since first meeting with him. From day one he'd expected things of Sakura and her cohort that he was unwilling to give himself. He'd asked them to describe their "likes, dislikes, dreams for the future," while steadfastly refusing to do so himself. He'd encouraged their prompt rising while on missions by banging a spoon against a pot just next to their ears, yet he'd arrived late to just about every appointment he'd ever made, including those with the _Hokage_.

That hadn't prevented Team Kakashi from growing close. Certainly, Naruto and Sakura had grown close over the course of their training with Kakashi-_sensei_, and Sasuke had come to tolerate Naruto and feel protective of Sakura (in a cold, brotherly way, of course). But surprisingly, the three students had grown fond of their hard-ass _sensei _and it seemed, sometimes, as though he'd grown fond of them. During their very first mission, he'd said he'd give his life to protect them, and although that was to be expected of a _shinobi_, it had meant something more when he'd said it. There had been conviction in his voice.

Sakura had felt it the worst when the team disbanded. Sasuke had left over Sakura's bitter tears to hunt down his brother, and Naruto was apprenticed to Jiraiya. Although Sakura had Tsunade as her new _sensei_, she hadn't adjusted well at first to the absence of her former team, and Kakashi had taken to stopping by to chat whenever he was in town. Of course, it wasn't really chatting, not on his part. It was more of a one sided-conversation in which an energetic teen babbled on and a somewhat jaded twenty-something-year-old hid his nose behind a smutty orange-covered book. They were closer, though. They took to sparring once a week (assuming he was around) and occasionally had lunch together. She'd confided in him when Sasuke came back, with the terrible news that she realized she didn't love him and possibly never had, and Kakashi had been like an older, wiser brother to her, gently mocking her Sasuke-related behavior over the past three years, yet also providing support. He was the friend she desperately needed, now that Ino had taken her place in Sasuke's life. Kakashi never volunteered anything about himself in their conversations, and would skillfully evade her questions about his life, but nonetheless, he was there for her.

Then her parents had died. Her parents were shopkeepers and their clothing store was one of the most visited in Konoha. Sakura had sometimes wondered if Ino's friendship was at least partially based on the fact that Sakura's parents supplied her friend with clothes at a steep discount, and sometimes free. Her parents had been surprised, but supportive when Sakura informed them at age six of her intent to become a _shinobi_. They'd been expecting a girl's girl, the type to wear frilly clothes and curl her hair. The type that charmed the socks of her dad and played dress-up with mom. Sakura, despite her girlish pink hair, was none of these things, although Ino did her best to draw if forth from her. Sakura had tried her best to learn _ikebana_, to know which flowers went best together and what each one meant. She did this even though she was more interested in taking a flower apart to see how it worked than in arranging it in a vase. Sakura had tried with all her energy to be the type of girl her mother and father wanted. And really, she was partially successful. Sakura's mother had been thrilled when her daughter went through what she called her "boy crazy" phase. (Her father had been more tolerant than most.) Sakura had finally developed an interest in something other than _jutso_. She giggled, she talked (and sometimes yelled) on the phone for hours, and she let her mother paint her nails. They'd have ladies' days together, spending the morning at a salon and the afternoon shopping for fragrances and makeup. They redecorated her room in frilly pink. Ino approved. Sakura's mother could certainly annoy her mother (all mothers of teenagers have this inherent capability), yet Sakura and her mom also had fun together. Her mother was eager to hear all about her raven-haired love interest, eager to be a part of her life, a part she could relate to. But by age fifteen, Sakura had grown out of this phase (which was more accurately referred to as her "Sasuke" phase) and had gone back to being the athletic, determined, competitive tomboy she had always been. As a result, she and her parents had grown apart.

When Sakura came home from a month-long mission to find her parents' store burned to the ground, she had screamed and wept. Kakashi, once again, stayed by her side. He had held her as she cried, listened to her describe the guilt she felt at not being able to say goodbye to her parents as they lay in the burn unit of the hospital, at the fact that she hadn't spent more time for them, and hadn't been the daughter they'd hoped for. He'd allowed her to rage on against the injustices of life. He'd been silent, but steady, aloof but present, and he had gotten her through what was easily the worst time of her life. He'd even hugged her a few times, and brushed the tears from her face.

And then he'd disappeared. He'd taken two year-long missions, Sakura learned, back to back, without so much as a goodbye. She'd loved him a friend. He'd seemed to feel the same way. So why would he leave her that way?

Kakashi returned from his two year-long trips, but Sakura did not seek him out as she had in the past. They waved as they passed each other on the street, and made idle conversation when they saw each other at the pub favored by shinobi. They bumped shopping carts once or twice. No acknowledgment passed between them of the friendship they'd shared. _And I'm fine with that,_ Sakura told herself each time they crossed paths and shared the briefest of smiles. Now, racing through the canopy, she said it again.

With Kakashi's sudden departure, Sakura had learned a difficult lesson about autonomy and independence. She took the _shinobi _code to heart. The life had always seemed glamorous to her before, but now she saw that the major part of a _shinobi's _life was loneliness. She was ready made for this work, she realized. She had no one precious in her life anymore. She decided her work would not be first– it would be _only_. She applied herself relentlessly to her studies, and by age twenty-one it was well known that she had surpassed the _Hokage's _skills at healing. She also realized that her emotional nature was a dangerous weakness. She'd heard again and again how easily she could be compromised if the enemy could read her feelings. Finally she understood. But really, the enemy was all around her. No one would learn how she felt.

This was the Sakura that bounded from tree to tree as the light grew weak and the day drew to an end. A different Sakura certainly, than the _genin _she once was. A strong and mature woman, a jounin, undaunted by life. This Sakura stopped at a stream to quench her thirst, and noticed something strange. A metallic smell hung in the air, faint but discernable. The iron-rich smell of blood bombarded her nose. Sakura quickly withdrew a _kunai_, and scouted the area around her. She found signs of a struggle, and blood-spattered leaves. She moved into a clearing and stood rigid in shock. Four men lay on the ground. She felt _chakra _emanating weakly from one, but she couldn't tell which. She dropped to the ground and rolled over the first body. A _kunai _had severed his jugular. He'd been dead for at least a few hours– his body was beginning to stiffen. He wore no _hitae-ate_, Sakura noticed, but he was otherwise dressed as a ninja. Sakura noticed a black mark across his collarbone, and pulled his shirt aside to inspect it. It was a tattoo of a stylized dragon within an isosceles triangle. She memorized the mark and stored it away to analyze later. There was no time for that now. One of these warriors was still alive, although barely so. It was her duty as a medic to save his life, and if he were an enemy, to deliver him to Konoha.

The second man had a gaping hole in his chest. Any tattoo he might have worn had been obliterated by the tremendous force of the attack which felled him. Sakura gulped and her heart raced with fear as she recognized this signature mark of the _chidori_. Her eyes moved to the third man. He bore the same gaping hole– it was glaringly evident as he'd fallen against a tree, as if to better display the cause of his death. The fourth man was partially hidden under the lowest branches of a lanky, light-starved rhododendron. Sakura pushed branches aside and recognized familiar hair, and a hitae-ate emblazoned with the symbol of the hidden leaf village. As she expected and feared, it was Kakashi.

The weak _chakra _signature she'd felt was his, although his energy had been consumed to the point that he was close to death. His pulse was nearly undetectable. He'd almost made it back, Sakura realized. They were only ten miles or so from Konoha. His left eye was bleeding, as were his shoulder and thigh. His clothes were saturated with blood and he was unconscious. Sakura quickly set to work, relieved that she hadn't overdone her sparring session that morning. Thankfully, she had enough _chakra _to stem the bleeding and strengthen his pulse. She hauled Kakashi through the forest using a fireman's carry and moved as quickly as she could. The guard at the town wall alerted the hospital staff so that they were ready for her arrival. As Sakura struggled through the entrance, she saw that Tsunade herself seemed ready to take on Kakashi's care, but Sakura insisted on taking care of her former _sensei _herself. She found an empty gurney and gently laid her former _sensei _on it, and ran alongside him as he was rushed into an unoccupied procedure room. She stripped his clothes off, searching for wounds she might have missed during her first, hurried inspection and gently swabbed the blood from his closed _Sharingan _eye. She let her chakra enter his body, urging his marrow to produce more blood cells, helping his flesh to knit together. She rubbed her hands against his mask and examined her fingers. She saw no sign of blood, and therefore spared him the indignity of exposing his face without his consent. She gently touched his bloody eye and saw it respond to her calming energy. Satisfied that he was okay, she laid a cotton pad against the eye, and wrapped gauze around his head to secure it. Only then would Sakura allow anyone else to touch him.


	4. Vigil

_Disclaimer: Naruto and associated characters are property of Masashi Kishimoto. They are not my property!_

**Fourteen Dates **

**Chapter 4--Vigil**

_A/N: These chapter is pretty technical (in a pseudoscientific kind of way). Please bear with me! The others won't be anywhere near as jargon-laden. And things will start to get interesting soon, I promise!_

She'd fallen asleep in the rather comfortable, though patched recliner that stood next to Kakashi's bed. Oblique rays of early morning sunlight caressed her eyelids and urged her to embrace the day. She blinked awake, a bit groggy and stiff from the position in which she'd slept. The hospital was her second home, however, and Sakura quickly remembered where she was, and stood to inspect her patient. Kakashi was in a coma– this was not news. Overuse of his _Sharingan _inevitably led to this. His vitals were stable, however, and he looked comfortable. Sakura winced a bit, as she remembered her bearish behavior the day before. She'd clearly intimidated the newest (and unluckiest) medic, who'd been asked to start a catheter and an IV. Sakura had allowed him to insert the catheter, but hectored him mercilessly as he missed the mark several times, while trying to start the IV. Sakura had finally pushed the young medic aside to slide in the narrow tube herself. _Not the best way to win friends and influence people_, she thought ruefully.

Satisfied that Kakashi was stable, Sakura dashed home for a quick shower and a change of clothes. Before she did so, however, she pulled the paper-wrapped package from her pack and placed it on Kakashi's bedside table. "Not that you'll be reading it any time soon," she giggled. She was glad to see him, she realized. More so than she would have expected.

Twelve hours later, Sakura again found herself in Kakashi's room. She'd visited him earlier that day, as part of her rounds, but now that she was off work, she'd found that she wanted to check in on him again. She'd requested his medical records earlier in the day, and had returned to her office to find her inbox groaning under the enormous file devoted to the health and upkeep of one Hatake Kakashi. _He doesn't hate hospitals for nothing_, Sakura realized as she paged through his file. She was curled up in the same recliner where she'd spent the night, and had commandeered the adjustable table that would have been slid across the bed, were Kakashi conscious.

It was completely reasonable for Sakura to be reading his file. She told herself this as she put together a timeline of his life. Jounin at thirteen, Sharingan eye immediately after his change in rank. That had been an impressive surgery, Sakura thought. She wished she had met this Rin, the medic who had transferred the eye from Obito Uchiha to Kakashi. To rejoin optic nerves was a feat, but to do so in the field was almost unheard of. Rin must have had unparalleled control of her chakra. Sakura continued through Kakashi's file, shaking her head at the number of wounds he had sustained over the course of his career. She counted over 100 incidents. Considering that Kakashi avoided hospitals like the plague, that was probably only the tip of a very large and deeply submerged iceberg. It _was _perfectly acceptable to be reading through Kakashi's file, Sakura repeated to herself. Why did doing so make her feel a bit guilty? She was his medic, after all. It did, of course, give Sakura a slightly better idea of the man who lay quietly next to her, but that was an unintended side effect. Or so she told herself.

Sakura had requested this file for a specific reason. She wanted to see if there was any trend in the comas Kakashi fell into after using his _Sharingan_. She paged back to the beginning of his file, and drew a notebook and pen out of her pack. Her first knowledge of Kakashi's propensity to fall unconscious after using his gifted eye had been during their first "real" mission, a few months after he accepted them as _genin_. After a nasty skirmish with Zabuza, Kakashi had dropped like a stone, and the three twelve-year old rookies had struggled to carry his dead weight back to the home of the bridge builder. Sakura couldn't remember how long he'd been unresponsive. She'd been too gaga over Sasuke to pay too much attention to her _sensei_, and at that time she hadn't shown an interest in medicine. That coma was mentioned in Kakashi's records, but no details were included. Apparently the copy _ninja _had not been very forthcoming upon his return to Konoha.

But it didn't matter. There were plenty of other well-documented incidents of coma, Sakura saw. It had happened twice when Kakashi was only sixteen _(What was he like then? _she wondered idly), but each time, he'd been out for a day or less. His twentieth year had been pretty rough, Sakura saw. He'd been a member of ANBU then, and apparently had been indispensable. She noted three instances of coma that year, each lasting longer than the previous. This was a bit disturbing. Sakura saw that Kakashi had remained in ANBU until just after his twenty-third birthday. He'd started teaching then, she surmised. Why on earth would he have left something as prestigious as ANBU to become a teacher of twelve-year old brats? She really knew so little about him. She'd heard from Iruka that Kakashi had failed every group of _genin _candidates that had come before him prior to team seven. Maybe this had been his way of slacking off a bit. He'd probably deserved it. His years in ANBU comprised a full centimeter thickness in the file.

Sakura refocused on her task. She found a total of eleven instances of coma, and she recorded the duration of each. There was definitely a trend here. His last coma had lasted three weeks. Three weeks unresponsive was good for neither body nor brain. Pressure sores might occur, although the staff at the hospital was diligent about moving patients regularly so that oxygen could reach all parts of the body. And with extended periods of unconsciousness, physical therapy was needed to ensure that muscles did not contract. There was also a strong link between the amount of time in a coma and the amount of brain damage that had occurred. The more brain damage, the longer the coma, and the less likely a patient was to recover. Even if the patient did recover, he or she might not retain all of his or her mental faculties.

It might be different for Kakashi, though. His coma wasn't brought about by blunt force to the head, drugs or any metabolic malfunction that was detectable. It was _chakra_-related. Kakashi's _Sharingan _was always on. Unlike an Uchiha, Kakashi could not turn his _Sharingan _on and off, hence it drained _chakra _continually. Kakashi kept his eye covered as a matter of course, and he was well-known for the high baseline levels of _chakra _his body produced. But using the _Sharingan _in a battle situation, where he went all out in his attacks, drained his _chakra _so completely that he stood at death's door when the battle ended.

Sakura stood and leaned over her patient. She lay her hands on his chest and her _chakra _gently entered Kakashi's body, and delicately coursed through his _chakra _canals. She could feel his _chakra _as her own encountered it– certainly it was not as strong as it could be, but it was already stronger than that of many healthy _ninja _she'd examined. One night's rest had done wonders for him. Another night and his _chakra _would be back to baseline, she expected.

So how did this relate to his coma? If the extreme and sudden drain on his _chakra _pushed him into the coma, shouldn't the restoration of his _chakra_ pull him out? Something else had to be involved. Maybe it had to do with the connection between the _Sharingan _and his brain. Perhaps the _Sharingan _was preventing _chakra _from circulating within his brain, as it normally would. Or perhaps she was totally in left field.

Sakura leaned a little closer to Kakashi and slowly unwrapped the gauze that held the pad over his _Sharingan _eye. She gently lifted his eyelid and inspected the eye. It looked much better than the night before, but the pad had small drops of still-red blood on it. The eye obviously wasn't healed yet. Sakura gently placed her palm over the now-closed _Sharingan _eye, and released small amounts of her _chakra _into it. The optic nerve was definitely damaged, and the protective tissue around it inflamed. Sakura's _chakra _soothed the injured tissue, and provided the energy the cells would need to be able to regenerate. Sakura felt none of Kakashi's _chakra _here. She didn't allow herself to move her own _chakra _up the nerve and into Kakashi's brain. Even if she were able to do so, it would be completely disrespectful of her patient's privacy and would cross the code of ethics for medics. She sighed as she replaced the soiled cotton pad that had covered Kakashi's eye with a clean, sterile one and wrapped it in place with fresh gauze.

She wouldn't be figuring things out any time soon. Sakura realized how little she knew about the brain and its workings and resolved to research the topic thoroughly, as soon as time permitted. Her ignorance of the brain was not due to her being a medic. Physicians also understood very little of the reasons for the brain's behavior. As a medic, though, Sakura's specialization was repair of injuries. The hospital's physicians focused more on prevention and treatment of disease. Surgery was not typically within their realm, unless cancer was involved. _Chakra _manipulation was useless in those situations, and physicians relied on old-fashioned scalpels and sutures to get the job done. A medic might be called in if available to tidy up the wound and promote the healing process, but for the most part, doctors and medics were somewhat territorial. Medics had the higher status, due to the critical role in maintaining the health of _shinobi_, and also because they were _shinobi _themselves. Physicians were almost always civilian. But perhaps because of (or despite) the territoriality between the two types of health practitioners, certain areas were overlooked. The brain appeared to be one of these.

Sakura stretched, realizing how tired she was. "You're quite the mystery, Kakashi-_ku_n." Sakura's voice was soft with feeling as she realized just how much she had missed him, and how much she owed him. It would be wonderful if she could find a way to shorten the duration of his coma. She'd feel as if she had repaid him for the time he'd spent consoling and supporting her, years earlier. She also thought it might prolong his life. As a thirty-eight-year-old jounin, Kakashi was an old-timer. Kurenai and Genma were the only other active jounin older than him, Sakura knew. Every day survived while on duty was a gift, and the gift grew more precious as time went on.

There was one other thing to check, Sakura noted. Depth of coma. This also indicated a lot about the potential to come out of the coma, and the likelihood of brain damage. By definition, coma meant a person was unresponsive, that the person couldn't respond willingly to sensations. But that didn't necessarily mean that he or she had no reflexes, or couldn't feel pain. Sakura pulled back the white blanket and sheet from Kakashi's feet and quickly ran her fingernail across his sole. His foot moved reflexively. A very good sign, she thought, as she grabbed a penlight from her pocket and shone it into Kakashi's right eye. His pupil constricted immediately, and Sakura noticed that this eye was not dark brown as she had thought, but a very deep, charcoal grey. Sakura grabbed a pack and pulled a _senbon _from her _kunai _pouch. She jabbed his upper arm with it. Again, he moved. Another very good sign. Sakura remembered that there had been no response at all the day before, when she'd started his IV. He appeared to be recovering already. She smiled at this realization, and quickly applied _chakra _to mend the tiny puncture wound she'd created. She grabbed her pack, leaving Kakashi's open file where it lay. She deserved a good night's rest and the thought of her own bed was too good to resist.

"Good night, Kakashi_-kun_," she said quietly, as she headed to the door. She laughed silently. She'd never called him by that honorific before today. But somehow, it felt right at the moment. Perhaps this was because he was so vulnerable now. She opened the door, but something stopped her from leaving. There was more to the data she'd recorded. Some pattern she'd missed. Her analytical mind wouldn't rest, she realized, until she examined the data a bit more closely. She might as well stay for a few moments more. She knew sleep wouldnt come until the analysis was complete. Sakura sat down again in the comfortable, worn recliner, and pulled the bedside table closer to her. She sketched out a graph, plotting year versus duration of coma. The pattern she saw did not surprise her. She already knew the comas were increasing in length. She sketched another graph– this time spacing the comas evenly--as first coma, second coma, third coma... She left a blank for the coma team seven had witnessed, that was not recorded in Kakashi's history. The pattern she saw frightened her. The graph was j-shaped. What that meant was quite simple. Each coma was about one and a half times longer than the previous. The duration of each coma had grown slowly at first, but Kakashi's most recent comas had been quite long. The most recent one had lasted eighteen days. That meant that this one might last for over a month.

It was two a.m., Sakura noticed, as she glanced at the watch she wore when in medic uniform. Her bed called to her with a siren-sweet song of flannel sheets and down-filled pillows. She leaned back in the chair and closed her eyes. She'd rest for a few minutes, then head home. Sleep overcame her quickly.

...o...o...o...

The next day did not start well. She'd woken stiff, cramped and grumpy, and to make things worse, there was only a half-hour until her shift began. She'd trudged down to the medic's locker room for a shower, and swore as she remembered that her locker did not contain a change of clothes. There was clean underwear, at least. She smirked. At least she'd been spared _that _indignity.

Her patient load was light today, as there had been no attacks (apart from Kakashi's) of late, and several of her patients were almost ready to be discharged. Her morning's work completed, Sakura headed for her _sensei's _office.

"Tsunade-_sama_?" At Sakura's voice, the stunning, well-endowed sixty-something year old raised her head from an impromptu pillow of paperwork. "My duties are done for today, and I was wondering if you had any new assignments for me."

"Sakura-_chan_." Somehow it didn't bother Sakura to be addressed this way by her _sensei_. It was clear she meant no disrespect– quite the opposite, in fact. Sakura did her best not to show this, however. Her emotions were for herself only.

"Thank you for taking on the mission to Jiraiya this weekend. He speaks well of you, you know." Sakura wondered if the scroll she delivered had been anything other than a mash note. She noticed Tsunade smiling at her. "We'll talk later about my _hentai _friends activities. I have two or three medical _jutsu _you might study." Tsunade reached in a desk draw to grab them. "But other than that, there's nothing pressing. It's nice for things to slow down every now and then, isn't it?"

"Yes, Tsunade-_sama_. I was wondering, though, what experience do you have with coma?"

"Coma?" Tsunade looked at Sakura shrewdly. "Well, of course, Kakashi has been brought in here multiple times in an unresponsive state, but he's always pulled out of it after some time. Sadly, we understand so little about how the brain works. I have a few journal articles you might read..."

"Are you aware of any procedures that can be used to shorten a coma? I noticed a disturbing trend while looking at Kakashi's records."

"That they're increasing as time goes on? Smart girl. I knew I was right to let you direct his care."

"It's not just that they're increasing, Tsunade-_sama_. It's how they're increasing."

"Ee?"

"With each successive coma, the duration has increased by a factor of approximately 1.5. That wasn't a big deal at first, as his early comas were quite short, but his most recent coma lasted 18 days. If the trend holds, this coma will have him out for over a month. I'm afraid that whatever is causing the coma may also cause brain damage, Tsunade-_sama_."

"Well, then, Sakura, your task is to find out as much as you can about therapies related to coma. Use the database. We have access to medical records from Sand and Wind Country. I know that Sand has been experimenting a bit in this area, although their data is very weak and they haven't shown anything conclusive. Perhaps their work will give you some ideas." Tsunade rested her hand on her favorite student's arm. "Sakura, I'm certain that if anyone can help Kakashi, you can. You have my permission to begin any therapy or _jutsu _that is not forbidden. Check with me first, otherwise. And don't worry about these medical _jutsu_." She pulled the scrolls from Sakura's arms. "They can certainly wait.

Sakura spent the next few hours in the basement of the hospital. The scroll room's classification system was a mess, so she enlisted the help of an orderly who had been leaning on his broom.

"Pull any scroll you find with an end label of blue-red-blue or green-blue-blue." The orderly set to work, glad of the diversion, and Sakura sat down at a computer workstation, and pulled up the hospital's research database. She lost track of time as she typed term after term into the system with little result. There really was very little information available about comas. But upon typing in "coma stimulation," Sakura hit paydirt. Here was the research from Sand Country that the Hokage had spoken of. The Sand medics had studied the effect of music on patient recovery from coma. There had been a slight decrease in the duration of comas, and interestingly, most of the patients reported having heard music while they were unconscious. The problem was that some of patients had expressed strong dislike of the music they had heard, which apparently was to the medic's taste, not the patients'. These patients had actually taken longer to wake from their comas. The Sand medics had also tried shining lights of varying intensity into patients' eyes. These results were less interesting. It hadn't seemed to have made any difference. The jury was also out on stimulating the skin. Massage seemed to help some patients and had no effect on others. The same was true for stimulating the sense of taste. Wasabi appeared to elicit a response in almost all patients, but did not effect the length of coma.

Here was something to start with, Sakura thought, printing out the relevant records. The orderly had returned with seven scrolls related to brain function and another three related to the _Sharingan_, and Sakura gathered these into her bag for some late-night reading. She then headed back upstairs to Kakashi's side.


	5. Experimentation

_Disclaimer: Naruto and associated characters are property of Masashi Kishimoto. They are not my property!_

**Fourteen Dates **

**Chapter 5–Experimentation**

Please note: this chapter is rated T for suggestive language. There's no actual sex, but suggestive situations.

_a/n: Jinrai means "thunderclap," and Taiheya _might _translate to "large room or large chamber." I say "might" because my Japanese is still quite minimal. "Amatsukami" means "heavenly gods."_

Sakura did not make it back to Kakashi's room as soon as she had intended. As she entered the first floor stair well, she heard signs of a commotion and realized that the slow day she had been experiencing was no longer. The triage area was littered with gurneys. Sakura quickly worked her way to the west end of the room, where the more urgent cases had been moved.

"Sakura-_chan_! Fancy meeting you here!" Genma, the older _shinobi _known throughout Konoha (and beyond) for his womanizing ways smiled happily up at her. As usual a _senbon _was held between his lips. He wiggled it back and forth as they regarded each other. He was pretty beat up, Sakura noticed. A _shuriken _had lodged dangerously close to his larynx, and there were three _kunai _embedded in his legs and arm. "Will you be my medic, Sakura? Pretty please? I'll strip for you if you want. Or you can strip for me... Whichever, I'm easy."

Sakura rolled her eyes as she inspected the clown before her. "I'll be right in, Gemna," she said as he was rolled into a nearby procedure room. She was by his side in a moment, and got right to work. In a single, smooth motion, she removed the _shuriken _and dropped it into a metal bowl.

"That's a souvenir, you know. I'll want that back."

He certainly was a character, Sakura thought. Most _shinobi _were stoic when being treated– gritting their teeth or looking away when necessary. But Genma was from a different mold. Nothing fazed his sunny disposition, or his suggestive language. She'd almost closed his neck wound which had been oozing bright red blood, and had to hold him still with her other hand as he continued to attempt to gesture while talking. Finally the wound was closed and Sakura released him, immediately starting to work on the messiest leg wound, quickly pulling the _kunai _out of his shin.

"How exactly did this happen, Genma? Are you allowed to say or is it classified?"

"It was pretty typical, babe. We were doing reconnaissance along the border and almost walked into an ambush. We high-tailed it out of there, but they tracked us."

"Who's us?"

"Anko, Asuma and Kurenai. You know, the old folk. We did manage to take them all down, though."

"I thought you didn't like being called old. I remember you slugging Naruto for calling you that."

"Hell, that was years ago, Sakura. Truth is, I _am _old now. Just turned thirty a few weeks ago."

Sakura laughed. "I have your chart right here, Genma. Thirty, my ass."

"Mmmm." He craned to get a look at her posterior.

Sakura immediately regretted her colorful language and abruptly changed the subject. "You know, Kakashi's here."

"At the hospital? In a bed? Within these walls? You've restrained him, somehow, haven't you. Wow, Sakura, I never pegged you as a dominatrix."

She nearly swatted him as her face reddened. She leaned over closer to his leg to hide her face. "He's in a coma, Genma. Nothing else. I was really lucky to come across him, though. If he'd been out there another hour, he probably wouldn't have made it. His _chakra _was that low."

"Where did you find him?" Genma shifted to allow Sakura better access to his thigh, where a _kunai _had come perilously close to his femoral artery. It was clear he was interested in this story– he had missed a golden opportunity for sexual innuendo.

"About ten miles outside the gates. He'd managed to take out three men before he went down."

"What did they look like? Anything memorable about them? What village were they from?"

"Tsunade-_sama_ recorded my debrief. You should probably read the report. Now hold still, _baka_." She gently pressed her hand against his thigh, at which Gemna gave a small moan of pleasure.

"But the story would be so much more interesting coming from your lips. Speaking of which, how about a kiss? I'm sure it would make me feel better."

Sakura rolled her eyes, and moved onto the final wound he'd sustained. This _kunai _had fully pierced through the underside of Genma's arm. "This will probably hurt a bit. The shaft is embedded too."

A chuckle escaped Genma at these words, but he remained quiet as Sakura pulled the weapon from his flesh. Perhaps this was how he signaled his discomfort.

"The men didn't wear _hitae-ate_. But one did have a distinguishing mark– a tattoo of a dragon within a triangle." Gemna's expression changed at these words, although Sakura did not notice, as she was concentrating fully on repairing the damage caused by the blade on its entry and removal. "I'm almost done now. You'll be right as rain in just a few."

"Where is Kakashi? And is he allowed visitors?"

"Fifth floor, and yes. I've been wondering where you all were. Kakashi has so many friends, but no one has been to visit."

"I think we've all been on assignment."

"The visit will be good for him, but don't stay too long, okay?" She gave him a quick pat on the shoulder. "All done. You're ready to go, but no missions for at the next three days. By the way, that's official– I'm marking it on your chart. And Gemna? No ladies for at least a day or two."

"Well, I guess that rules out the evening of dinner and dancing I had planned for us." He winked at her.

Sakura laughed. "It's not the dancing I'm worried about, Genma.". She was thankful for Genma's easy-going nature and the fact that his flirtation meant nothing. This was how he was with every member of the female sex. Not that it wasn't nice to be noticed, and not that she would ever take it further had he been serious, of course. Her work came first, and anyway the man was a walking, talking public health hazard.

"See you soon, sugar!"

It was nearly seven p.m. by the time Sakura made it back to Kakashi's room, and her shift was almost over. Sakura generally worked later than this however, and still had quite a bit of energy in reserve as she walked into Kakashi's room and sat on the edge of his bed. She couldn't help but giggle at what she saw. A paper mustache had been taped just below Kakashi's cloth-covered nose, and it fluttered gently with his breath. Sakura removed the scrap of paper, as she found she couldn't keep a straight face while looking at it.

"Kakashi," she began. "It feels silly talking to you like this, but there is a chance you can hear me, so I'd like to let you know what I'm planning." Had he been any other patient, she wouldn't be hesitating to begin his treatment. But this was her former _sensei_, a man who was most possessive of his privacy. _But in a hospital, privacy does not exist. That's just how it is, _she thought. She suddenly realized why Kakashi would rather stitch up his own wounds than visit this institution.

"Well, let me tell you what I'm going to do. There's a good chance you'll wake up earlier if your senses are stimulated. So I'm going to do my best to stimulate them." _That sounds like something Genma might say._ Sakura blushed, and was glad she'd shut the door behind her. "What I mean is, your body is just laying there right now, and this place is pretty quiet. You feel the same sensations over and over. It's easy for your mind to tune them out. Different sensations may help snap your brain back into drive, or help it rebuild whatever is damaged or resting or whatever. Honestly, I don't understand how it might work– no one does yet-- but it does seem to help sometimes. So, your sense of smell, for instance. There's just one smell around this place– the smell of disinfectant. I plan on bringing in some different fragrances. Things that might be a little more appealing than ammonia and chlorhexidine. Your sense of touch. Hmm. Massage, I guess. I'm pretty skilled at it, you know, and it will help your circulation, too. Last but not least, your sense of hearing. I'd bring in headphones if I had any idea of your musical taste, but honestly Kakashi, I have no clue. You'd think that I might, considering all the time we used to spend together. And I'm certainly not going to break into your apartment to find out. I have a feeling you wouldn't appreciate that." She steeled herself to continue. "So that leaves either long, one-sided conversations, like we used to have (which I really don't think I can do anymore, as I really don't have too much to say), or reading. Of course, I really don't have a good idea of the breadth of your literary taste. You'd probably find what I like to read to be absolutely boring, and being bored certainly won't help bring you out of this coma. I've only ever seen you reading one thing– that damn book, in one incarnation or another."

Sakura sighed, and for a moment considered abandoning this plan of action. She looked at the man lying in bed, most likely oblivious to everything she'd said so far. But there was a chance it might work, and Sakura saw that this chance, however slim, greatly outweighed her own discomfort. She took a deep breath and spoke again. "I'd rather not do this, but I really have no choice. I hope you appreciate this, Kakashi."

Sakura reached for the paper-wrapped parcel she'd delivered for Jiraiya. "Your _hentai _author friend asked me to give this to you. I have no doubt what's inside." She tore at the wrapping and uncovered an orange-bound book entitled _Icha Icha Takutikusu, Volume 12_.

"I'm guessing it's the latest volume and you haven't read it. That's good. It will be something new for your brain to digest."

She opened the book to its frontispiece and read, "_To Kakashi, a man of exceptional talents and exceptional taste. May your life be filled with abundance. Jiraiya_."

Sakura smiled. "I guess he really thinks highly of you. Of course, you probably paid for a good chunk that cute little cottage he lives in. Naruto said you own multiple copies of each book. That's a little obsessive, don't you think?"

Sakura turned to the first page and began to read aloud.

_Taiheya Jinrai had no problem taking what belonged to him._

"That's a strange name, Kakashi. Is this the main character in all of Jiraiya's books? Naruto said they were about someone named Junko." She thought for a moment. "Wait a second." Sakura pulled out a scrap of paper and a pencil and scribbled for a while, then grinned. "Well, this certainly fits the man I met this weekend. 'Taiheya Jinrai' is an anagram of the _kana _for 'Jiraiya _Hentai_'. Apparently this book is about him." Sakura giggled. "At least he admits what he is." Sakura picked up the book and began reading again.

_Right now, what belonged to him was the sloe-eyed girl who cowered in the corner. She was a virgin, according to her father, and suitable payment for the mission Jinrai had just completed. She looked at him with fear in her eyes as he approached her. _

Sakura sniggered. "He takes his payment in _women_? What century does this book take place in? Somehow, I'm guessing _Ero-sennin_ doesn't elaborate."

_Jinrai caressed her lips with a touch that was much more gentle than the girl anticipated. Nonetheless, she gave a small cry of fear. Jinrai's hand moved to her kimono. Slowly he untied the obi and pulled the long cloth from her body. It puddled to the floor with a soft whisper. Jinrai moved his hand along the soft fabric of her kimono. Her breasts responded to his authoritative touch. The girl gave an involuntary shudder as he slipped his hand under the silken cloth. She–_

Sakura felt a blush creeping into her cheeks. It was good that her patient couldn't see her. But "when embarrassed, attack," had always been a useful tactic for her. "Why hasn't Jinrai found out her name? Wouldn't the father share that piece of information with him? I can't believe you read this stuff, Kakashi." But Sakura didn't set the book aside.

_She was only sixteen, but well-developed, Jinrai saw, as he pulled the kimono from her shoulders and took a breast in each hand. Her breasts were the size of honeydew melons, ripe and fragrant._

"_Honeydew melons_? Kakashi, you have to know that no woman wants her breasts referred to as 'melons.' Or 'knockers.' Or 'funbags,' for that matter. I hope that these books haven't served as your primer for understanding the opposite sex." Sakura chuckled. "But it _would _explain things, now that I think about it. No wonder you never seem to have a date. You've probably scared them all off. 'What beautiful melons you have. Like the finest cantaloupes. Can I buy you a drink?'" It was horrible to laugh at Kakashi's expense, but Sakura couldn't help herself. If she was going to have to read the book aloud, it was only fair that she share her opinions, too, she rationalized.

_His mouth moved to hers and he kissed her tenderly. He felt her stiffen, and then seemingly melt against him. He began to draw away and felt her pull him back to her. She wanted this. She fisted his long, luxuriant silver-white hair, which glistened like platinum in the waning light–_

"_Fisted_? In _kunoichi _classes we learned a really different meaning–" Sakura stopped herself. What if he _could _hear her? She warned herself to be a little more cautious with her comments. There was no way she wanted to discuss the more obscure arts of the _kunoichi _with her former _sensei_. Sakura rested her voice for a moment, while she poured herself a glass of water from the pitcher that sat by Kakashi's bed. She drank greedily. She wasn't used to talking for extended periods of time and she was getting a bit hoarse. Sakura turned to the next page and breathed in suddenly, nearly choking as water shot down her trachea. She coughed and spluttered at the sight before her.

"_Amatsukami_! Those aren't honeydews! They're– pumpkins? No, not pumpkins, not smooth enough. Watermelons! Round, seedless watermelons. Wow, she must really have back problems. Although, they do seem to be resisting gravity. Hey, maybe this is a science fiction story! Or maybe she used some kind of levitation _jutsu_. Hmm. But she'd not a _ninja_, is she? You know, I bet she can't see her feet." _Is this really what men look for in a woman?_ Sakura thought as she lowered her chin to gaze at her own chest. She had always felt a bit lacking in comparison with Ino, but this drawing made the two friends look like pre-teens.

Thankfully, the book had not gotten wet when Sakura exploded. Kakashi would have her head, she knew, if she destroyed a signed first edition of his favorite series. If he woke up, that is.

Sakura looked a bit more closely at the other details in the drawing, which now revealed themselves to her, as she got over her initial disbelief. The nameless girl in the drawing was blonde, with shoulder length hair. Her features were classical, lovely. It was clearly Tsunade. Jiraiya's fantasy version of Tsunade, anyway. Even the well-endowed Tsunade was dwarfed in comparison with her literary counterpart. And the man was clearly Jiraiya. He was drawn in profile and the likeness was unmistakable. Jiraiya was a better artist than she'd realized. Of course, he'd probably drawn himself thousands of times. Jinrai's body was a bit idealized, too, Sakura noticed. The man Jiraiya had drawn was musclebound, to put it kindly. What exactly was he doing to the girl? Apparently, this drawing depicted a scene Sakura had not yet read.

Sakura slammed the book shut, suddenly feeling the need for a long, hot shower and pumice stone to scrub the smut off her body.

"Kakashi-_kun_, we'll continue this tomorrow. Sorry for editorializing." And she _was_, for a moment. These books were important to him, for some unexplained reason. Sakura set the volume on his bedside and leaned in to stroke her former _sensei's _hair. Interestingly, she noted, it was no more unruly than usual. He probably never brushed it, Sakura thought, as she left his room.

The book was not what she expected. Naruto had given her a three word overview ("lots of sex"), years ago, when he'd first begun training with the _ero-sennin._ Sakura had taken this to mean descriptions of red-satin sheets and black lingerie, wanton women and animal-like coupling. So far, at least, the book seemed a little different than this. The writing was not as horrible as she'd expected, and Jiraiya used words like "gentle."

Still, it had been an embarrassing visit. She should have previewed the book first, before deciding to read it to him. But what if she had? There was really nothing else that she was sure would interest the copy-_ninja_, and she hadn't lied when she'd told him a one-sided conversation would be impossible. Sakura really didn't have much to say to him, and it was obvious from his behavior years ago that he didn't find her worth talking to. They hadn't really communicated in years, anyway.

It was warm outside, she noticed, and clouds covered the darkened sky. Weather like this signaled an impending storm. _Tomorrow is my day off. Of course it would rain._ Sakura hurried home. At least a warm, soft bed and a good night's rest awaited her.


	6. Icha, Icha Amusement

_Disclaimer: Naruto and associated characters are property of Masashi Kishimoto. They are not my property!_

**Fourteen Dates **

**Chapter 6--_Icha, Icha_ Amusement**

_Please note: this chapter is rated T for suggestive language. There's no actual sex, but suggestive situations._

Sakura awoke in a better mood than she'd experienced for months. The sun was most definitely not shining, and her apartment had the cold, damp feeling more often felt during rainy fall days, but this did not do anything to change her eagerness to start the day. She didn't stop to analyze her feelings. Moods like this were hard to come by, and Sakura did not want to do anything that might cause this one to slip away.

She threw on her training outfit and breezed through the kitchen, stopping long enough to look into the refrigerator and remember she really needed to go shopping. No matter. She'd grab a bite to eat on her way to Hinata's house.

Hinata still lived with her parents in the large compound they called home. Well, Hinata called it home. Sakura had no idea how her taciturn father might refer to the imposing building that had been in their family for generations. A white-eyed maid, forehead emblazoned with an unmistakable symbol of her servitude, answered the door and ushered Sakura into the opulent foyer of the residence.

"Hinata-_san_ is dressing. If you wait, I will let her know you are here."

Sakura nodded and the cousin bowed deeply, then scurried away. Sakura turned to the ornately trimmed mirror that hung near the entrance and quickly inspected herself, after shrugging out of her jacket. Finding no place to hang it in the overdecorated yet surprisingly non-functional room, she draped the garment over one arm. Its hood had done little to keep her dry. She sighed as she combed fingers though her wet hair. The rain had fallen steadily all night and continued its steady patter this morning, causing large, muddy puddles to form in the unpaved roads. For this reason, Sakura had foregone travel by roads, hopping from rooftop to rooftop instead, but the clay-tiled slopes were treacherous in the rain, and she'd slipped several times. Now Sakura twisted around to get a better look at the back of her outfit. It was only damp, not muddy. Surely Hinata's father, Hiashi, would not look at her with complete disapproval were he to see her in her somewhat disheveled state.

Hinata was not the type of girl one would expect to have grown up in this environment, Sakura mused. She was kind and generous, meek and shy– a polar opposite to her father, and as a result was completely unsuited to be head of the Hyuuga clan. Yet that was her destiny. Sakura suppressed a giggle as she imagined what Hiashi would say once Hinata and Naruto began to date. Sakura had no doubt that they would be dating soon. Naruto was fairly dense, but once he did understand, he was tenacious and determined. Sakura expected the _kyuubi _container and the Hyuuga heir would be married before the year was out.

"Sakura!" Hinata ran to greet her friend and hugged her. Like many shy people, once Hinata warmed up to a person she was quite demonstrative. "It's so good to see you! How is Naruto?" _How could Naruto not have seen how much this girl adores him?_ It was ridiculously obvious.

_"He's_ great, Sakura. We had a nice visit, although his _hentai sensei_ cut things short."

"Oh." Hinata blushed deeply. Apparently she'd been on the receiving end of his leers, as well.

"I have something for you!" Sakura fumbled with her jacket, finally finding the pocket that held the letter she and Naruto had written.

"A l-letter? From N-Naruto?" Hinata hardly every stuttered anymore. It was clear she was surprised. She held the letter gingerly in her hands, as though afraid it might burn her.

"Well, I'll leave you to it." Sakura noticed her friend's dazed expression.

"Huh?"

"Let me know if you'd like to train sometime. I really need the practice."

"Oh. Right." An angelic smile lit Hinata's face, as she slowly turned around and wandered off, leaving Sakura alone in the vast foyer.

"I'll just let myself out," Sakura said to no one in particular.

Her mission accomplished, Sakura no longer minded getting muddy, and decided a cross-country run might be a good first step in getting her body back into condition. Twice around the walls of Konoha would be a 5 kilometer distance– not a bad start. And the dense trees would probably provide some shelter.

...o...o...o...

Sakura came home with a chill, and swore softly to herself when she couldn't get the gas-fired heater in her apartment to light. The landlord tended to make himself scarce during the day, so Sakura settled for the next best thing to a toasty warm apartment– a steaming hot bath. She loved that her bathroom had a soaking tub. Many of the newer places had modern, more shallow tubs, which in Sakura's opinion just didn't get the job done. She made herself tea as the bathtub filled, then scrubbed herself down before climbing into the capacious tub.

_Why am I in such a good mood?_ she wondered as she settled into the bath. Had a couple days away from home done her that much good? Perhaps Tsunade-_sama_ was right about Sakura needing a vacation. But no, that couldn't be it. She'd been back for a few days. If the vacation had been that restorative, she should have felt better at once.

"It was the laughing," she said aloud. She hadn't laughed like that in years. True, some of the mirth she felt had been at Kakashi's expense, but he'd certainly laughed at her enough over the years. She'd really enjoyed herself, she realized, despite the embarrassment she'd felt.

Sakura closed her eyes and sunk a bit deeper into the soothing water. _It wasn't just the laughing that made me so happy. It was the companionship. _The thought created small ripples of unease. It had been almost like old times. She'd been completely honest with him, and he'd really only been just a bit less communicative than he had been in the past. Sakura smirked. What did it signify that the highlight of her recent social interactions was the time she spent with a comatose man?

_If you don't open up, you won't get hurt._ This was an adage Sakura lived by, and it had served her well. Of course, to do so she avoided any situation where opening up might possibly occur. She almost never visited bars, and on the odd occasions where Ino or Hinata dragged her to one, Sakura refused to drink. For some people, alcohol loosened inhibitions. Ino was a good example of this, though her inhibitions were pretty loose to start with. One too many cups of sake and she'd be dancing on the table. She'd pulled off her top one evening years ago, long before Sasuke returned. The men in the bar that night (Genma, Kiba and Gai among them) definitely had enjoyed the show, and had reminded her of it for years afterwards. Ino, characteristically, was unfazed by their comments.

For other people, alcohol seemed to unlock feelings of aggression. Rock Lee was perhaps the best example of this. Several times now his wages had been garnished to cover clean-up and repairs to Konoha night spots. For Sakura, though, just a sake or two would crumble the wall she worked so hard to maintain. After a drink or two, she'd reach out to others. She'd talk honestly about her feelings and her past. She'd show weakness. _Not _drinking while visiting a bar was almost as bad. She felt distinctly uncomfortable when she spent time sober with a glazed-over Ino or Hinata. Drunken humor was only funny to the drunk, it seemed.

Better to meet friends for training or a brief dinner (in a restaurant, of course– who knew how long guests might linger if she opened her house to them?). Best of all was to meet for lunch. Her work schedule allowed only 45 minutes for the lunchtime meal. Happily, this was not enough time for companions to broach any potentially sticky subjects, such as her love life (or lack thereof), her obvious loneliness, or the sadness she emanated that seemed to border on depression, to name a few topics that had been brought up in the past. Forty-five minutes wasn't even enough time to find some chinks in the wall she'd erected.

Sakura knew that it was hard to fake a smile. It was easy to turn up the corners of one's mouth, but far more muscles were involved in a true smile than in the phony, plastered-on version. But she'd found a way around it. If imagined how she'd felt when she'd passed the _jounin _exam, her face would immediately light up. She found she could manage that type of smile for forty-five minutes without a problem. Conversations about sticky subjects were therefore averted, although her companions might notice that she seemed a bit distracted.

Sakura sighed. She'd promised herself she wouldn't analyze her feelings. She could already feel the warm feeling she'd woken up with slipping away. She climbed out of the tub and grabbed a soft white bathsheet. Before she wrapped it around her, she stole a critical glance at her body in the bathroom's full length mirror. She really did look like a pre-teen compared to the nameless girl in the _Icha, Icha _book. Her legs were still too thin, and somewhat ungainly in her view, and her backside had always been a bit larger than she'd have chosen (were such options available). She didn't mind her breasts, though. They were on the small size, as Ino still pointed out, but a lot more practical during training and missions, and easier to bind than the pair Ino sported. Sakura wrapped the large terrycloth towel around her and stepped closer to the mirror. Her face was attractive enough, she guessed. She still had a prominent forehead, but her features seemed to balance it now. No one ran screaming from the sight of her, anyway. All in all, she definitely was not a beauty queen. She'd been surprised that Jiraiya had asked her about modeling, and even more surprised when she'd caught him spying. He must be an equal-opportunity pervert. Sakura laughed at the thought. Her good mood was restored.

...o...o...o...

"It looks like you had quite a few visitors today." It was evening, and though it was her day off, Sakura wanted to make sure Kakashi had every opportunity to recover quickly. She didn't mind giving up an hour or two of her limited free time. Kakashi was wearing a paper crown, Sakura noticed. Even if she hadn't checked the visitors' log, Sakura would have known who'd paid a visit. "The more interaction, the better." Sakura smiled as she removed the crown and folded it along its creases. She slipped it into the _Icha, Icha_ book. He'd wonder how it got there when he woke up. Sakura snickered, imagining his embarrassment. She quickly checked her patient's vitals and inspected his eyes. No change from yesterday, she noted, but it was probably too early to expect anything dramatic.

"I stopped at the general store on the way over." Sakura opened a small vial and held it under Kakashi's nose. "Do you like it? It's essential oil from Fraser fir trees." She pulled a small metal cup and shook several drops into it. Then she added some olive oil and swirled the mixture gently.

"Mmm. I love this smell. I'm betting you do, too, since you seem to love the woods as much as I do. I'm inferring that, of course. I never heard you complain about sleeping outside, and you seem to spend a lot of time in trees..." Sakura cranked Kakashi's bed to move him into a half-upright position. She leaned him forward to untie his gown, unsnapped it at the shoulders and pulled it down to his waist. "Just so you don't get any funny ideas, anything below the waist and above your knees is off limits. I'll start on your arms."

Sakura was an experienced masseuse, as most medics were. _Chakra _manipulation did a great deal for patients, but the human touch complemented those techniques beautifully. There was something about firm physical contact that could drain the tension from a patient, and instill a potent feeling of well-being. Giving massage was an intimate experience for both patient and medic– it couldn't be otherwise. Luckily, it was usually rewarding to both. Sakura enjoyed giving massages. She found that giving of herself in this way and feeling patients responding to her touch filled her up-- made her feel whole, somehow. It was also rewarding to see and feel dramatic changes in her patients. The changes that happened during a massage were almost immediately visible and had an obvious, physical cause. _Chakra_, on the other hand, was invisible, and while it certainly could be felt by the therapist, and though the changes it could produce were dramatic, it was harder to link cause and effect on more than a conceptual level– the repairs made with _chakra _seemed almost magically induced.

This massage was different from the usual, though. Kakashi's body retained some tension, but less than a typical patient, even less than a civilian. As he was largely unresponsive, massaging him was somewhat akin to manipulating a large doll. Kakashi's flesh was warm and supple, though, scarred in some places, unmarked and velvety smooth in others. He certainly was attractive, Sakura realized as she began to massage his chest and abdomen.

"I'm guessing you haven't been massaged before, Kakashi. A lot of your scars have adhesions." Sakura rubbed expertly against his older scars, releasing them from the connective tissue underneath. "That should help."

_Are! He's attractive._ It was a good thing the man was unresponsive-- Sakura didn't think she'd be able to survive giving him a massage if he responded in any way. His flesh felt so nice under her hands. _Snap out of it. He's just a patient, no different from anyone else._ With an effort, she began to rebuild the wall.

Sakura finished his massage and quickly washed up, then returned to the copy-_ninja_'s side to record some orders on his chart. "Sponge-bath daily, rotating textures: loofah, rough washcloth, sponge. No lotion. Do not remove mask." The added stimulation of a daily scrub would do him good, but the oil from his daily massages would be more than enough to protect his skin.

"So, where did we leave off last night? I believe Jinrai was kissing the girl who doesn't seem to merit a name..." Sakura opened the book and began to read again.

_She fisted his long, luxuriant silver-white hair, which glistened like platinum in the waning light._

"_Show me how to please you." Her voice was soft, but urgent._

"_In good time." Jinrai drew her to him again, and caressed her lips with his own. He touched her lower lips with his tongue, signalling his intent, and her lips parted willingly._

"Is there some secret French-kissing signal no one's told me about?" Sakura's laughter bubbled up, a response not only to the cliche scene being described in the book, but also to the absurdity of the scene she and Kakashi were playing out. If Kakashi _were _aware, her flippant comments were probably driving him crazy. She was being unfair.

"I'll stop cracking wise now."

_His tongue explored the warm, dark recesses of her mouth and flickered over straight, white teeth._

"Okay, I know I said I wouldn't but, _really!_ He makes it sound like Jinrai is spelunking, Kakashi. Are her teeth stalagmites and stalactites? Should he be on the lookout for bats?"

_He slowly drew her to the bed. He pressed gently against her shoulders, lowering her to the mattress, all the while caressing her soft breasts, her womanly hips–_

"Is he an octopus? I thought his hands were on her shoulders."

_She felt his smooth hardness against her, and her body went rigid with fear._

'_Don't worry, love,' Jinrai said soothingly, looking into her luminous brown eyes. 'I promise you I'll be gentle. It will hurt for only a moment, and then I promise you paradise.'_

Sakura had no snarky remark to punctuate this paragraph. Her sole male-female experience had been with Sasuke, and that had only gotten as far as kissing, and only when initiated by her. It hadn't been satisfying, hadn't left her wanting more. Sakura wondered now if there was something wrong with her. Ino had always spoken glowingly, and in great detail about her sexual conquests– and, she saw now, often in language filthier than used by Jiraiya. Even now Ino held nothing back. Sakura knew far more about Ino's relationship with Sasuke than she cared to.

Sakura's cheeks reddened as she continued to read aloud. Jinrai appeared to be quite the considerate lover, putting his partner's pleasure before his own. Several times, in fact, in this first chapter. Sakura couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to be intimate, let alone with someone who knew her body that intuitively. She continued reading, her voice becoming gentler as she did so.

"Well, Kakashi-_kun_, I think that's enough for tonight," she said as she ended the chapter. "I have to say I'm disappointed that he's leaving her. It seemed like more than a one-night stand. Of course, what do I know?"

She leaned over the comatose man, and rested her hand against his. "I really hope this is working, Kakashi. I don't think you know you much you'd be missed–" Sakura stopped herself, and stood up straight, shaking off the desire to tell him how glad she was to spend time with him again.

"Good night, Kakashi-_sensei_," she said quietly, and left his room.


	7. Research

_Disclaimer: Naruto and associated characters are property of Masashi Kishimoto. They are not my property!_

**Fourteen Dates **

**Chapter 7–Research**

Another day, wet and miserable. Sakura turned from the window where she'd been standing and regarded Kakashi. Still the same. She sighed. He'd already had his sponge bath, she saw, as his hair was damp. He didn't look like himself-- his hair was much too orderly. Sakura ran her fingers through his thick hair, mussing it until the man before her looked a bit more like himself.

"Well, I don't think you'll have to worry about going bald any time soon."

Sakura had arrived at work to find that her schedule had been rearranged. Tsunade was obviously worried about Kakashi. She'd assigned most of Sakura's patients to other medics– a clear signal that Sakura was to focus on finding a way to shorten Kakashi's recovery. Tsunade had also scheduled a meeting with Sakura for later in the day, undoubtedly to discuss Kakashi's progress.

Sakura frowned as she sat down in the recliner that stood next to Kakashi's bed, and flipped a reading lamp on. She opened one of the scrolls she'd located two days earlier and reread it. It described the anatomy of the _Sharingan_, and several hypotheses about its development. But the document contained very little data to back up its conjectures. This was not surprising. The Uchiha clan burned their family members' bodies as quickly after death as possible to avoid the gathering of data about their bloodline limit. Sakura remembered the many pyres the residents of Konoha had lit in honor of the clan on the day of the Uchiha massacre. The night sky had glowed orange that night.

Sakura spent the morning rereading the scrolls and scanning through the information from the Sand Country that she'd pulled from the database. Most of the Sand patients had shown improvement within a couple of days. Sakura examined the scale the medics had developed to track recovery from coma, and compared it to the data she'd collected from Kakashi. He ranked close to the bottom of the scale. Not good.

The other scrolls contained general information about the brain, but very little about brain injury. And the types of injuries that were described were head trauma, such as injuries sustained when falling from a distance, or through _taijutsu_. Kakashi had no bumps or other outward signs of damage. If the damage to his brain was physical, it was much more subtle. It didn't help that Sakura had no way to examine Kakashi's brain. Medics used _chakra_ to get an internal view of the body. Physicians used exploratory surgery on the rare occasions it was merited Neither were acceptable strategies in the case of brain-related illness.

Sakura was stymied. It was frustrating to have a tool at her disposal that she couldn't use, and even more frustrating to be so ignorant of the body's functioning. Sakura prided herself on her intelligence. She'd worked diligently in school, always aiming for the perfect score, doing far more than was needed to be sure she excelled. Sakura believed that knowledge is power. She felt very weak right now. What other resources were open to her?

Sakura pulled Kakashi's file before her and began to read it more thoroughly than she had the first time. Maybe there was something that she'd missed in her eagerness to look for trends– some small detail that might unlock this puzzle.

Two hours later she groaned and stretched her back. Nothing useful. "_Shimatta!_"

She looked at Kakashi. He'd shifted his position a bit, but this wasn't unexpected. Coma patients did move, just not by volition. Sakura stood and walked around Kakashi's bed, seating herself on the wooden chair that she'd placed close to the bedstead. She leaned into him, gently probing his recent wounds with her fingertips, releasing minute amounts of _chakra _as she did so. He was healing beautifully, she noted. There was good blood flow to these regions and she could feel the anabolic activity of his cells as they rebuilt his muscle tissue.

Sakura moved her hands to Kakashi's face and gently unwound the bandage she'd used to press the cotton pad over his _Sharingan _eye. She pulled back his lid and stared closely at his eye, shining a penlight as she did so. Unlike his native eye, the _Sharingan _did not constrict when the bright light hit it. It must not be fully healed, Sakura thought, or was not transmitting signals to the brain. She closed his eye and pressed her palm against his lid, allowing her soothing _chakra _to inspect the inner workings of Kakashi's eye. The scrolls she'd examined were not very accurate, Sakura realized. Of course, they described a less-evolved eye than Kakashi's. The eye depicted in the scrolls had only one _tomoe;_ Kakashi's had the _Mangekyou_. Kakashi's optic nerve was thicker in width than the nerve drawn in the illustration, definitely more so than that of a normal eye. She'd noticed this difference on her first examination, but had assumed the thickness was a result of the inflammation she'd observed. But the inflammation was gone now. It could be thicker due to changes in its insulating sheath or due to more fibers within the nerve itself, Sakura mused. Her _chakra _flowed into the nerve and coursed along its length, jumping from axon to axon. There were definitely more cells here. More neurons meant more connections to the brain. But was this normal?

Sakura realized there was one way to find out. Why hadn't she thought of him sooner?

...o...o...o...

"You want to what?" Sasuke looked at Sakura with ambivalence. Yes, he wanted to help Kakashi. He felt bad about the fact he hadn't visited yet, but Ino was close to term and he didn't want to miss this delivery. She'd had only four hours of labor with their previous child and had been quite upset when Sasuke hadn't arrived by her side in time. It was an Uchiha tradition to birth their children at home, and Sasuke realized his absence, leaving Ino with only their servants to assist in the birth, had been pretty callous.

"Sasuke, I can do the exam right here," said Sakura, seemingly reading his thoughts. "There's no need for you to come up to the hospital. And you won't need to activate the _Sharingan_ for long. I just want to take a quick peek." She smiled winningly at her former love interest.

"Grr." Exams were just so intimate. And an exam from Sakura? Sasuke knew she no longer loved him, but still...

"Okay. Make it fast, though."

Sakura placed her palm against Sasuke's left eye and released _chakra _into his system. Anatomically, his eye was similar to Kakashi's, but not identical. This was despite the fact that Sasuke was a first cousin, once removed to Obito, the donor of Kakashi's _Sharingan_. The cellular organization of his iris was different. Perhaps this was due to the fact that Kakashi's _Sharingan_ was more evolved. noticed something else that caused her hand to tremble, and her breath to quicken slightly. Sasuke's optic nerve was not as pronounced as Kakashi's. Sakura removed her hand and examined Sasuke's other eye. That nerve was identical in form to its mate.

"Activate the _Sharingan_, please."

Sasuke did so and apart from the obvious change to the iris and pupils, the only change Sakura noticed was a small increase in cellular activity .

"You've figured something out, haven't you?" Ino walked slowly into the room, one hand rubbing her swollen belly, the other placed firmly at the small of her back. "I know that look, Sakura."

Sakura removed her hand from Sasuke's eye and turned to smile at her friend and former rival. "Their optic nerves differ. This must have something to do with the extreme drain the _Sharingan _places on Kakashi's system. But it could be related to the _Mangekyou_." Sakura thought for a moment, and she grew excited again. "Ino, Sasuke, doesn't Keiko have the _Sharingan_?"

"Yes, it showed itself last year, when she thought one of Kiba's dogs was attacking. He wasn't, of course, but the _Sharingan _tends to evolve when the user needs it." Sasuke's voice was matter of fact. "I take it you want to examine her as well?" Sasuke left the room to find the child, sighing as he did so, but returned in moments with the eldest of his three children.

"Keiko," Ino said softly, "Sakura would like to examine your eyes. Would you do that for her?"

"Yes, _okaa-san_," the girl said with a smile. Sasuke picked Keiko up and supported her on his hip as Sakura spoke gently to the girl as she gazed into her eyes. The left had one _tomoe_, the right two.

"This might tickle a bit, but it won't take long. First I'd like to look at your left eye while the _Sharingan _is off." Sakura placed her palm against the girl's open eye and allowed _chakra _to trickle in.

"That does tickle! But it feels nice. Like a warm bath."

"Now turn the _Sharingan _on. But don't use it against me, Keiko!"

The girl laughed and complied. Again, Sakura saw no difference between the unactivated and activated eye, apart from the obvious changes she expected.

"Let's look at your right eye, okay? Turn off the _Sharingan _for just a moment." Sakura smiled. There was a notable difference between the eyes. In this eye, the optic nerve was significantly thicker. And this eye had two _tomoes_.

"Okay, now turn the _Sharingan _on again." No difference, as before. "I'm all done, Keiko. Thank you for being such a good patient." Sakura gave the girl a kiss before Sasuke lowered her to the floor. He smiled smugly. He was obviously pleased that his daughter's bloodline limit had revealed itself at such a young age.

"Sasuke, do any of your family records describe the anatomy of the _Sharingan_?"

Sasuke hesitated. The family shrine did have a hidden room that had scrolls relating to the _Sharingan_, but they described only its ultimate purpose, not its anatomy or physiology.

"There are a couple of scrolls, but nothing you'd find useful. Just tactical stuff. I don't think there's ever been a medic in the Uchiha clan, Sakura, so probably no one thought to examine how the _Sharingan _worked. Sorry." The apology was uncharacteristic, but Sasuke appeared to mean it. He seemed to be worried about the man, who, long ago, had attempted to convince him to forgo the path of revenge.

"Sakura, could I ask you a favor in return?" Ino looked at her shyly. Ino was almost never shy.

"Sure, anything."

"Could you use your _chakra _to tell me how close I am? It would do me a world of good to know. I keep having a dream that it's going to be another two weeks. I don't think I could survive that."

Sakura lay her hands against Ino's abdomen and gently probed.

"Hmm. Your body feels like it's about ready, and the baby's _chakra _is quite strong. I'm not an expert by any means on labor and delivery, but I'd guess sometime today, Ino."

"Today? That's wonderful! Don't go anywhere, Sasuke. Don't even leave this room." Her voice was commanding.

"It had better be a boy," Sasuke muttered in a very low voice, but both women heard him.

...o...o...o...

As Sakura expected, her afternoon meeting with Tsunade was to discuss Kakashi's progress. Tsunade was not pleased to hear that Kakashi's condition was basically unchanged, but she did approve of the steps Sakura had taken to stimulate his brain. She was even more impressed by Sakura's keen observation of the differences between Kakashi's native and _Sharingan _optic nerves and listened carefully as Sakura described the evidence she'd found that suggested the optic nerve grew in size as the _Sharingan _evolved. As Sasuke had inadvertently pointed out, the _Sharingan _was likely to evolve in times of stress, when a more advanced state could be put to use.

"But perhaps it changes a bit each time it's used, until it reaches a point where it is ready to take on the next form. Maybe the cells needed to take the Sharingan to the next state are formed with every use, and when the vast majority are present, the eye advances to the next level. That would be consistent with the fact that Kakashi's coma duration has increased with every use of the _Sharingan_."

"I think you're on to something, Sakura. The question, then, is this: Is Kakashi's _Sharingan _still evolving? If not, this coma should last only as long as the previous one."

"I really don't want to wait to find out the answer to that question."

"Neither do I, Sakura. We can't risk losing him."

Sakura frowned. "What exactly is the _Sharingan _doing to him? There is obviously some type of mismatch between his body and the Uchiha eye. An Uchiha would be able to turn off the _Sharingan _at will. But Kakashi's is always active. And Sasuke told Naruto that the reason he tried to kill him was to gain the _Mangekyou_. It was the only way, he said–he had to murder his best friend to achieve it. But Kakashi has the _Mangekyou_, and he hasn't murdered anyone he cares about, has he?"

_He would never do something like that_. _Never_.

Sakura was silent for a while, as she became lost in thought, her mind analyzing the data at hand and separating fact from conjecture. "So here's what we know for sure. The _Sharingan _behaves differently in Kakashi than in an Uchiha. It is constantly on– Kakashi doesn't have the ability to control it. It constantly drains _chakra_ unless it's covered. Just the act of _looking _while the _Sharingan _is activated uses great amounts of _chakra_. That doesn't happen in an Uchiha. Itachi walked around with the Sharingan activated all of the time, and Sasuke has said using the Sharingan doesn't tire him significantly. But Kakashi's eye is an Uchiha eye. The variable is Kakashi."

"So what do you conclude from this?"

"I'm not ready to conclude anything yet. But here's a speculation. The Uchihas have a genetic difference that allows their eyes to evolve. The signal to evolve occurs in the eye itself or in some place that Kakashi and the Uchihas both have in common. Otherwise, Kakashi's _Sharingan _would not have changed form. But the mechanism that turns it on and off resides in some location that Kakashi _doesn't _possess. The eye communicates directly with the brain and not much else– that makes me think that there must be some difference between the brain of a person born with the Sharingan trait and those who aren't. That's the only thing it could be. And somehow, as the Sharingan has evolved, the difference has become more important. Maybe the Sharingan is overloading his brain, somehow."

"You're asking me to allow you to look inside Kakashi's brain."

"That would be unethical, Tsunade-_sama_. I'm not asking you that. I can't think of anything Kakashi detests more than the invasion of his privacy. Entering his brain would go well beyond that. I'd be privy to his thoughts."

"A shinobi is a tool of the village, Sakura. We will need to do what best serves the village's interest. If it comes to this, I think Kakashi will understand."

"Yes, Tsunade-_sama_."

"We still have time, Sakura. Continue your therapy for the next five days while I give this some thought. The _jutsu _involved in brain manipulation is forbidden, as you well know. I will not make this decision lightly."

Sakura bowed to her _sensei_. "Thank you for your time, Tsunade-_sama_."

"Sakura?" Tsunade called as the young medic left the office. Sakura turned and looked expectantly at the _sannin_. "Kakashi is lucky indeed to have you leading his care." Sakura smiled at the compliment. "And I think he's even luckier to have you as a friend."

Sakura bowed again, blushing, then hurried to Kakashi's room. _Was _she his friend? She hadn't thought so. They hadn't spoken about anything significant in the time since he'd left without a goodbye. Sakura realized with a start that she'd missed him terribly. But Sakura was pragmatic. When he awoke, _if _he awoke, things would probably go back to the way they'd been– he'd thank her without a trace of emotion in his voice, grab his copy of _Icha, Icha_, and walk out of her life.

She sighed as she entered his room, absentmindedly picking up his chart from the foot of the bed and flipping through it. No change. No surprises there. She honestly hoped it wouldn't come to using the forbidden _jutsu _Tsunade has alluded to. He'd never forgive her.

Sakura looked up at the unconscious Kakashi and gasped. His eyes were open, and he appeared to be looking right at her.

Sakura ran from the room and raced to the nurses' station, growing indignant as she did so. "You were supposed to call me if there was any change!" She bellowed the words, as she rounded on the nurse assigned to Kakashi.

"W- What? Haruno-_san_, what is wrong?" The nurse had heard of Sakura's unpleasant moods, but had never experienced one first hand. She'd also heard of Sakura's superhuman strength. She desperately hoped she would not be experiencing that characteristic of the medic _nin _who stood glowering in front of her.

"Hatake Kakashi's eyes are open. That's a significant change. When did this happen? Why wasn't it recorded in his chart?"

"I checked on him half an hour ago, Haruno-_san_. His eyes were closed. I swear it." The woman stood up to accompany Sakura back to Kakashi's room.

"No. Stay." Sakura's words were authoritative, her voice still angry. The nurse sank back into her chair and sighed in relief as Sakura turned on her heel and hurried back to Kakashi's room.


	8. Frustration

_Disclaimer: Naruto and associated characters are property of Masashi Kishimoto. They are not my property!_

**Fourteen Dates **

**Chapter 8–Frustration**

_a/n This chapter is rated T for suggestive language and situations, including nudity._ _No_ _sex_ (yet). _Rating is likely to increase to M in the near future._

_Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to review! Your words mean a lot to me. I will be replying to each review individually, but haven't had time yet– I figured getting the story out ASAP would be more appreciated_!

"Kakashi, can you hear my voice?" Sakura looked for signs of recognition. "I know you may not have control over your body yet, but if you can control your blinking, let me know by blinking twice."

Kakashi did not respond. Although Sakura had expected this, she was still disappointed. It would have highly unusual if Kakashi had awakened without any warning, but it sometimes did happen. Some patients recovering from coma opened their eyes fairly early on, others later, but regardless of the time their eyes opened, some were able to communicate as Sakura had described. Other patients entered a temporary or permanent vegetative state, in which the body would go through a normal sleep-wake cycle, but these patients did not have cognitive functions. They might moan, laugh or even talk, but not in response to an outside stimulus. Still other patients' eyes might open intermittently. But whether or not the patient was actually seeing anything was open to debate.

Sakura grabbed a pen from the movable table where she'd placed her research materials and held the pen in front of his uncovered eye. "If you're able, Kakashi, follow the pen with your eyes." She moved the pen slowly back and forth, then up and down. Again Kakashi did not respond.

That didn't mean he was unable to see, however. It could be that he didn't yet have the ability to move his eyes. Sakura cranked the bed to a partially-upright position, removed her papers from the table, then slid it into place over the bed. She grabbed the copy of _Icha, Icha Takutikusu_ and propped it against the table, then crouched by Kakashi's head, checking to make sure his line of sight included the book. She turned to the first illustration, the one that had so embarrassed her. If anything might stimulate him visually, this was it.

"Here's what I was talking about. Doesn't she look like Tsunade? Spitting image, I'd say. And you have to admit I'm right about the melons. She really should have back problems. Oh, and speaking of which, I saw Ino today. She looks like she's ready to be wet nurse to a small village. Sasuke is going to be upset. Not about the breasts– I'm sure he's quite happy with those, if Jiraiya's tastes are representative of men in general. I meant he'll be disappointed about the baby. Sasuke doesn't know it yet, but the new baby is a girl. That's just between you and me, though." Sakura laughed at herself. Here she sat gossiping with Kakashi as though he were a close girlfriend. She really needed to get out more.

"Well, Kakashi, how about if you look at that picture while I give you a quick once-over? Then I'll give you a massage and we can read."

Sakura checked Kakashi's vitals. They were normal with the exception of his pulse, which was slightly elevated. Was she getting through to him? She gently uncovered his _Sharingan_ eye. The whites of the eye were no longer streaked with red, but the complex pupil still did not contract when she shone the penlight on it.

"Excuse, me, Kakashi. I don't mean to interrupt your enjoyment, but I want to check your other eye." Sakura placed one hand over his native eye, and the other over the _Sharingan_. She allowed a small amount of _chakra _to enter each, and compared the level of activity within each eye. The _Sharingan _eye was definitely more active than the one he was born with.

"All done. You can go back to your porn, now."

Sakura stood to Kakashi's side, sliding her hand down his fabric-covered chest and releasing more _chakra _into him. She allowed it to swirl and flow inside of him, inspecting the movement and quantity of his own _chakra _as she did so. He was back to normal levels. But strangely, once again she had felt none of his own _chakra _within the _Sharingan _eye. That couldn't be normal– _chakra _inhabited and flowed throughout all regions of the body.

"Hmm. Ready for your massage?" She partially removed his gown, and pulled back the blanket and sheet covering his legs. She then leaned over and rummaged through her pack, muttering as she did so. "Smell this," she said as she finally located a small vial. It contained vetiver oil, strongly aromatic, with a woodsy, grassy smell. Its heady fragrance filled the room as she uncorked the small bottle.

"Vetiver is one of my favorite scents," Sakura said as she held the bottle under Kakashi's nose. "I hope you like it. To me it smells earthy, like a rainy spring day, mixed with the smell of just-mown grass. Lovely."

Sakura mixed the oil with its carrier, then warmed a small amount in her hands. "I'll start at your feet, so you can spend a little more time with that picture." Feet were a great place to start– in many ways the least intimate part of the body. Sakura found that she could pay close attention to Kakashi's feet without finding herself thinking about the near perfection of his body. Knees, too, were fairly neutral.

But as Sakura moved on to his upper body, she found her mind wandering. Even in a relaxed, unconscious state, Kakashi's arms were beautiful, sculpted, yet lean. And his chest was... well, it wouldn't pay to think about it. Sakura laughed aloud as she glanced at the page still open before Kakashi. Jinrai's body was so unlike Kakashi's. The drawing seemed to embrace every stereotype related to masculine beauty. A body like that might do for competitive weightlifting, but for a _shinobi_, a lithe, taut body was a preferable asset, and in Sakura's mind, far more attractive. Sakura remembered the very first day of _genin _training, when Naruto had jumped the gun, running forward in an attempt to wrest a bell from Kakashi. She'd marveled then at the swift, yet casual way in which Kakashi had deflected the attack and subdued Naruto, and she'd marveled many times since then at the easy grace with which Kakashi executed _taijutsu_. Even his trademark slouch was graceful, in a way. It seemed lazy on the surface, but that was by design. Underneath, Kakashi was tensed like a cat feigning sleep, waiting for the right moment to pounce on its unwitting prey. Quite a few attackers had learned that the hard way.

Sakura sighed. His back would be a more neutral area, Sakura hoped, as she moved the table away from the bed and carefully rolled Kakashi over. Slightly more neutral, she found, but not much. Sakura decided to close her eyes as she worked. That would be less stimulation for _her _brain.

"I need to wash your face," Sakura said, once the massage was complete. "I promise I won't look." She filled a small basin and grabbed a bar of glycerine soap and two washcloths, and set them on Kakashi's bedside table. She moistened the washcloth and gently rubbed it against Kakashi's brow, then ran an end of the washcloth over the clear, gentle soap, and massaged the cloth against his skin. She lay the towel on his chest, then closed her eyes, and gently pulled the mask down to his neck. She tentatively touched the washcloth to the lower half of his face.

"You need a shave, Kakashi," Sakura murmured, feeling the stubble of his beard prickle through the thin washcloth. She did her best to avoid touching his face with her hands. She didn't need to find out what he looked like at the moment, although she was very interested. But the game that team seven had played in the past always had certain rules, and looking now would certainly be cheating. She felt for the second washcloth, moistened it and carefully rinsed Kakashi's face, then dried it with the towel. She allowed his face to continue air-drying for a few moments while she leaned back in her chair, eyes still closed.

"Kakashi, I just want you to know, that _I_ know this must be hard for you, assuming you're aware. And even if you're not aware yet, I know that when you _do_ wake up you'll feel violated. Please know that I'm doing everything I can think of to respect your boundaries. I'm taking this very seriously." Sakura reached over and fumbled for his mask, finally replacing it on his face.

"Well, let's read. I promise to limit the number of smart remarks this time." Sakura opened the book to the second chapter and cleared her throat.

_There was a reason he never asked them their names. In fact, in cases like this, when they were offered as payment, he specifically told the parent or guardian not to tell him the name of his prize. Jinrai leaned over the sleeping girl he'd pleasured relentlessly the night before, to leave a note on the pillow beside her. He resisted the temptation to give her one final kiss. She was easily the most beautiful woman he'd ever spent time with, and leaving her would be especially difficult. Best not to make it even more so. Jinrai stole from the room, and crept outside into the twilight morning._

_There'd be work in the Wave Country, he knew, and it was only three days journey, assuming no attackers lay in wait. Jinrai took to the tall, deciduous trees native to this part of the Fire Country. He'd be harder to track this way._

_He made good time for a while, stopping only to take a swig, every now and then, from the water bottle that hung from his side. He paused now, bottle to his lips, and heard a slight crackling. He felt their _chakra_, though they were clearly trying to mask it. There were three _shinobi _heading toward him._

_He didn't have the advantage of surprise, but they were probably unaware that he'd noticed them. Jinrai continued on his way, neither speeding nor slowing his pace. He noticed they maintained the same distance from him as before. What was their goal in doing so? Was there another party up ahead?_

_He leaned against a tree after removing his pack, stealthily removing three _kunai _as he did so. With unparalleled ease and lightning speed, he threw the _kunai_. He heard a gasp and the rustle of leaves as one clearly met its target. Jinrai rearmed himself as two _shinobi _leapt into view._

_They wore the seal of the Snow Country, Jinrai saw. Had they tracked him all this way? No, he guessed, as he noticed that their _hitae-ate_ were scratched through. These were missing-_nins

"_You'll pay for what you did to our sister," the taller one said. The ninja removed the hood and mask obscuring her face. A long, thick braid of lustrous crimson fell heavily over her shoulder. _

_Her sister? Jinrai hadn't been in Snow Country in quite some time, and the girls he'd bedded the last time– all had been willing, he remembered. What was the _shinobi _before him talking about?_

_"Don't let yourself get distracted, Jinrai," he told himself, as he ducked just in time to avoid the _shuriken _thrown by the smaller of his opponents. _

"_We've heard about you, Jinrai. Our sister hoped for the kill, but sadly, that's no longer possible. As her twin, I claim that privilege. Anami, he's mine!" She tore off her mask and hood. She, too, had long red hair, but it was unbound. It fell in large, gentle waves over her shoulders. Her pale blue eyes flashed in the mid-morning light, as she unsheathed her _katana.

"_Of course, Akatsuka. But don't kill him immediately. Let's have some fun first."_

_Jinrai dropped to the ground and threw a smoke bomb, not noticing how cold the air around him had grown. The smoke bomb detonated, but no cloud appeared._

"_Silly man," said a voice behind him. "Smoke won't diffuse in air this cold." Jinrai turned to see Anami exhale. The water in her breath crystallized as she did so. Jinrai felt his skin prickle at its approach. It felt as though he'd spent hours exposed in a blizzard. She controlled both water and wind, Jinrai realized. This was no lowly genin before him, but an S-class warrior._

_Of course, so was he. It wasn't often that Jinrai was evenly matched in battle, and he smiled at the opportunity presented to him. With a hand seal and a murmured word, Jinrai disappeared, coalescing moments later behind Akatsuka, _kunai _at her throat. As he plunged in the blade, she turned to snow– an exquisite snow sculpture that crumbled under his touch. He felt cold, metallic fingers snake around him. Akatsuka, it seemed, was an S-class warrior, as well. That would only make the battle more interesting. With a jolt of _chakra_, Jinrai broke the icy wires encircling his torso, and turned to his prey._

_They were beautiful, both of them._

"Kakashi, I hate to interrupt, but this is going to end up in a threesome, isn't it?" Sakura paged ahead, and the drawing accompanying the chapter. "Thought as much," she sighed as her prediction was verified. "Well, here's another illustration. Why don't you take a look at it while I stretch?"

Sakura set in front of Kakashi the picture showing two scantily-clad _kunoichi_, both red-haired, both almost impossibly buxom, both surprisingly similar in facial features to the unnamed girl in the first drawing, and to Tsunade, of course. The only difference was the hair color.

"He really has a thing for her, doesn't he?" Sakura stretched languorously. "For Tsunade, I mean. But it's interesting. Tsunade talks a lot when she's had a little too much sake– over three bottles, that is– but she's never once mentioned her feelings for Jiraiya. She's rude to him when he's around, of course, but I wonder..."

It was late, Sakura noticed, glancing at her watch. Kakashi didn't appear to be on a normal sleep-wake cycle, if he were on one at all. Sakura stood and turned off all of the room's lights, except for the reading lamp by the bed. It cast a pool of light around her, as she took her seat and resumed reading.

_They were beautiful, both of them. What a waste their deaths would be. Jinrai performed one of the _jutsu _he was well known for. Though the_ Rasengan_-- _

"_Rasengan_? He uses Jiraiya's _jitsu_?" Sakura's voice was incredulous. Why doesn't he just call the main character 'Jiraiya' and be done with it?"

_Though the_ Rasengan _was a water-type jutsu, its immense strength would allow it to blow past any_ jutsu _the sisters put out in retaliation._

_Jinrai was wrong. The_ Rasengan _exploded on impact, forming an immense crater, but the_ kunoichi _had protected themselves with a thick wall of ice. The wall had shattered on impact with the spinning ball, transforming into sharp shards that had torn the sisters' clothes and scratched their skin, but they stood little the worse for wear in the crater, each quickly flashing seals._

"Why am I not surprised that their clothes are torn?" Sakura sighed, knowing what was next. Nonetheless, she continued to read aloud.

"_Together!" Akami cried, and Jinrai fell to the ground, unconscious._

_Jinrai awoke with a taut, uncomfortable sensation in his arms and legs. He tried to move but found he couldn't. His limbs were secured to the corner posts of a large bed. He lay spreadeagled, barely clothed. He sent_ chakra _to his wrists and ankles, but found it was strangely consumed as soon as it arrived at its destination._

_He craned his neck to see Akatsuka smiling at him. She moved from the bench where she sat, and leaned over his supine body. Her flesh was exposed where her clothes had been rent. Her skin was white, supple, enticing. Jinrai steeled himself to ignore her charms. He needed to find a way out of cuffs that held him here. This was no time for thinking about sex._

"_Don't waste your time, Jinrai. Those are _chakra_-depleting bonds. You'll need all your strength to survive what's coming next." Her voice was sweet, but her expression was menancing._

"_Why haven't you killed me yet?"_

"_We will. It's just that..."_

"_Akatsuka and I have a fantasy we've been dying to make real." Anami stood in the doorway. She moved closer, removing her shirt and bindings as she did so. As if on cue, Akatsuka did the same. She leaned closer to Jinrai, caressing him with her full breasts, then laughed as his body responded._

_It would be torture, Jinrai realized, to receive the attentions of these women and not be able to respond in kind. He closed his eyes and groaned._

"_We've heard about you, you know," said Anami, joining her sister in the bed. "Your reputation precedes you. She removed her remaining clothing, motioning for her sister to do the same. "It will be so much fun to do this to you. We'll kill you afterwards, you realize. That will make it even more enjoyable."_

"_It's too bad you took our sister back in the clearing. Our original fantasy was for a foursome." Akatsuka idly moved a lock of hair along Jinrai's side, smiling as he shivered under its feathery touch--_

"A foursome? With three red-haired sisters, two of whom are twins? Why didn't he just make them triplets? Arrgh. Is this really what men fantasize about?" Sakura felt dirty again. "Kakashi, I just don't think I can continue with this tonight. How about we pick up here tomorrow? I have a feeling this will be less difficult while the sun is shining._"_

Sakura quickly stood, replacing the folded crown she'd used as a bookmark, and setting the book on the bedside table. His eye was still open, she noticed, but expressionless. Sakura switched off the reading lamp, and leaned into Kakashi, to look at his eye more closely. There didn't seem to be anyone there. Their faces were close, nearly touching, and Sakura felt an almost uncontrollable urge to kiss him. With difficulty she pulled back and turned away.

"Sweet dreams, Kakashi-_kun_," she said softly as she left the room.

Kakashi's eye closed. He'd understood more than she realized.


	9. Reflection

_Disclaimer: Naruto and associated characters are property of Masashi Kishimoto. They are not my property!_

**Fourteen Dates **

**Chapter 9–** **Reflection**

_a/n This chapter is rated T for suggestive language and situations, including partial nudity._ _No_ sex (yet). _Rating is likely to increase to M in the near future._

"_Taku" translates as "Damn" ; "Mendo kusai" translates as "this stinks of trouble."_

Kakashi lay flat on his back, staring at the tiny-holed acoustic tiles that covered the ceiling. He knew where he was. There was no doubt of that, even though his field of view was quite limited. He heard the medics and nurses being paged, and the soft echo of footsteps in the hall. And of course there was the smell of disinfectant, though it was mixed with an altogether more pleasant smell. Vetiver, she'd said. The smell lingered, though he'd already had a sponge bath today. Too bad Sakura hadn't been the one giving it. The nurse who'd been tasked with the job had gaped at him the entire time, it seemed, though mercifully, she hadn't removed his mask. Sakura had seen to that, he supposed.

_Thank you._

It was still quite early. He could tell this by the quality of light that filtered into the room. He was bored, and frustrated. And also, if he were honest with himself, a bit anxious. That was a feeling he almost never permitted himself to fear, but these circumstances seemed to warrant it. He had no idea how long he'd lain here, or even how he'd gotten here. He pushed his mind to remember. He'd almost made it home, when he'd come upon three members of the Sankaku clan. The battle that ensued was protracted. No doubt this was due to the fact that Kakashi had been traveling for a week, and only that morning had used his _Sharingan _to fight off another group of Sankaku who'd tracked him after he'd left their compound. He'd done a quality job in bringing that facility to the ground, burying the vast majority of its residents under tons of concrete. But apparently not all of them. At least six had survived, or had been elsewhere during the explosion.

Kakashi couldn't remember much about the conclusion to his final confrontation with the Sankaku. He'd used his _Sharingan_, and that was undoubtedly why he was here. He assumed his opponents were dead. Otherwise, he'd be. The Sankaku were not the type to cut and run.

Why couldn't he move? He willed his arms to move, his legs. Nothing. He was thinking too big, he realized. How about just a finger? Nothing. An eyelid? They blinked involuntarily, but not on his command. Kakashi would have sighed, but even that was impossible. What was going on?

He was in control of his thoughts, at least. He calmed his mind, and willed himself to remember any details he might have overlooked. He remembered flashes of conversations– one-sided conversations– but no visuals at first. He'd heard Genma's voice at one point, cheerful and irreverent as ever, telling him of his latest sexual escapade. And Gai's voice, sobbing, as might be expected, lamenting a youth cut short by tragedy. Had Kurenai been here, as well? He thought so, but she was so quiet now that her better half was gone. And certainly Kakashi remembered Sakura's soft voice. At one point she'd mentioned something about melons, with a trace of irritation in her voice. She'd mentioned the fruit again on a separate occasion. His eyes had been open then–images flashed before him, now. When she'd adjusted his bed, he'd been greeted by the sight of her beautiful face. It had been the first thing he'd seen, apart from the ceiling, and he would have smiled if he were able, at his luck in being greeted by something so welcome. There had been concern in her eyes, too. _Was _he paralyzed? Was his condition the result of a spinal injury?

Kakashi drove the thought from his mind, and concentrated instead on what was real, or seemingly real, anyway– the scraps of memories from the last days or weeks. Hopefully it hadn't been months. It had greatly amused him when Sakura set an illustration by Jiraiya in front of him. He'd never thought she'd do something like that. The Sakura he'd spent time with eight years before had been untouched, apart from several passionless kisses from Sasuke. Eight years could change a person, though. She was a woman now, an intelligent, powerful woman, his equal as a _jounin_. Surely she had been with men. This thought displeased Kakashi, and he forced his mind to think about a more neutral subject. His mind returned to the illustration. He hadn't been able to enjoy it. Sakura had miscalculated the focal point for his eye. His eyes were a bit older than hers– well, more than a bit, and a little more space between the book and Kakashi would have done wonders for his perception. It was clear from her description, though, and her subsequent monologue, that the illustration was one of Jiraiya and Tsunade, the characters renamed, of course. Sakura had remarked on Ino's breasts, then, Kakashi remembered, sharing information with him she was sure he'd never would have heard if she were certain he was aware. She'd been comfortable, at ease in her own skin as she'd talked to him like they'd never been apart. As though he were her confidant again.

Why was she reading an _Icha, Icha_ book to him, and a new one at that? And had she actually gone to a bookstore to purchase it? The _Icha, Icha_ series was kept behind the counter nowadays, as teenage boys demonstrated a certain propensity to steal them when the books were openly displayed. Had Sakura really gone up to the shopkeeper and asked for the book? The Sakura he once knew would have never done so. She'd looked at him with distaste every time he'd pulled the book out, much to his amusement. He'd often opened it when in her presence just to get a rise out of her.

But this was a new volume, he was certain of it. He'd memorized the collection, after reading each volume a minimum of fifty times (and certain selections far more than that), but the words she'd read were clearly new. It was nice being read to, he realized. Her voice was erotic, soft and sensual. And it was quite amusing when she became flustered. That at least, was true to the Sakura he'd spent time with years ago. She'd almost gotten to an interesting part of the story, but had become indignant and set the book aside.

Another memory filtered back to him. This one had no visuals, just Sakura's soft voice continuing the story. He could hear the blush in her voice, though. Why would she continue reading if it made her so uncomfortable? Things just didn't add up. She was willing to walk into a bookstore and ask for an adults-only book, yet she was reluctant to read it? What was the point, then? There was obviously something he didn't quite understand here, some method to her madness. Kakashi, like most of Konoha was aware of Sakura's great prowess as a medic. Several years before, Tsunade herself, beaming, had told Kakashi that Sakura had surpassed her own abilities. There must be a reason why Sakura was reading to him, massaging him, spending more time with him than was typical for a busy medic.

He hadn't experienced this before–this loss of control over his body. He'd been in a coma before, so many times he'd lost count, but every time before, he'd gradually reawakened, with full use of his body. Each time he'd been out longer, true, but each successive battle had been more difficult, required more of him. Something serious must be taking place for the foremost medic in Konoha to be taking such an interest in his care. There was no other reason he could think of.

Kakashi had deliberately severed his connection to Sakura eight years before. He'd been surprised, then disgusted, and then quite scared of the feelings he'd developed for her as he'd comforted her after her parents' death. She'd been only sixteen. Beautiful, graceful, but still a child, at least in the eyes of the law. He'd tried to bottle up his feelings, but had realized he could no longer trust himself around her. And he couldn't abuse her trust in that way. He had no doubt she would have let him make love to her– he knew how deeply she cared for him, and how easily she might confuse that for another type of love. So he'd left, knowing full well what his abrupt disappearance would do to her, trusting she'd be strong enough to survive it, and move on. And she had moved on. He'd run across her every now and then, sometimes by design, and gauge her reaction to their encounters. She'd steeled herself against him. He'd been glad.

"Kakashi?" He'd been so deep in thought he hadn't heard her enter. Some ninja. And why no honorific? She'd always called him Kakashi-_sensei_.

"Your eyes are open again. That's wonderful. I thought it might have been a fluke the first time. I wish I could tell whether or not you could hear me, or even see me. Let's try the pen test again." Sakura moved a pen slowly back and forth, and gently asked him to track it. He tried. He put all of his effort into it. It wasn't possible.

"Kakashi, blink twice, if you can." He wanted to show he heard her, show her that he was aware, that he could understand her. But nothing, despite his utmost concentration. Not even a flicker– she would have noticed and remarked on it.

Sakura sighed. "I'm not going to give up on you, Kakashi. I know you'll come out of this soon. But maybe Tsunade is right..." Her voice drifted off as she became lost in contemplation and left his field of view.

He wasn't paralyzed permanently then, Kakashi thought with a rush of hope. This was just some bizarre side effect of his coma. And come to think of it, if he _were _paralyzed, he wouldn't be able to feel at least part of his body. But he'd felt everything during that vetiver-scented massage. The memory flooded back to him now. He could almost feel her hands upon him again. The treatment must have medical value– she certainly hadn't been taking advantage of him. She'd whispered words to that effect at some point, he remembered, and he had felt the embarrassment that rolled off her in waves as she avoided touching the zone between his waist and knees. He thought he'd sensed something else, as well, if only for a moment, as she'd looked into his eye. But it had quickly been replaced with a look of cool professionalism, and she'd hurried away. But not before she'd called him "Kakashi-_kun_." He was sure she'd said that.

"It's been nine days, Kakashi."

_I've been here nine days?_

"Tsunade will be making a decision tomorrow about your treatment. At first, I thought it was working. Your eyes opened, anyway. But nothing's really changed. At least I haven't made a total fool of myself." Sakura leaned over to adjust Kakashi's bed, to elevate his torso. She turned his head toward her, and sat down next to him, so that their eyes were level.

She wasn't reading the _Icha, Icha_ book out of sheer novelty, Kakashi realized. It was part of his treatment– an apparently unorthodox treatment.

"I'm not going to give up on the treatment just yet. I'll wait until Tsunade makes a decision."

_A decision to do what?_ Sakura was clearly disturbed. Was Tsunade planning on letting him lay here alone, to while out the rest of his days with only his own mind for company? Was there any worse fate for someone who used his body to serve his village?

"Kakashi–" Sakura's voice was soft. "I need to tell you this. And I pray you can hear me, because you need to know how I feel." She paused for a moment, collecting her thoughts. "I'm almost positive that Tsunade is going to direct me to use a forbidden _jutsu _on you. You're too valuable to the village for her to do otherwise. The problem is that each coma you've had has lasted longer than the previous. Your last one was eighteen days long. If the trend continues, this one will last almost a month. That can't be good for your brain or your body. We have no idea what your brain is doing right now. For instance, two times now, your eyes have opened– so maybe some visual signals are going to your brain. But why only two times? It's been four days since the last time your eyes were open. It's like something is short circuiting."

She was talking to herself, trying to convince herself. But she was also apologizing, asking for forgiveness. It was clear, Kakashi realized, that she was torn among her duty to the village, her beliefs as a medic, and her need to honor the memory of their friendship.

Kakashi guessed what was coming next.

"Tsunade is probably going to tell me to enter your brain, to find out what exactly is happening, and to see if I can repair it somehow. I have no doubt I'll be able to learn the _jutsu_, but it's dangerous. Apart from that, Kakashi," her voice rose, " I don't want to do it. It would be like...rape. I know Ibiki uses a similar _jutsu _on prisoners. Maybe that's justified. I don't know– my gut says, 'no.' Kakashi, I know you value your privacy. And that's what makes this even worse. Over the past few days, I've thought and thought about you– trying to remember the smallest details you might have shared about yourself, or about your past. I know next to nothing about you. And that's intentional, on your part. As your medic... and as your friend... I have to protect that wish. Doing this is just wrong."

Her eyes were filled with tears, Kakashi saw. He wished he could show her somehow that he understood. That he'd been through worse, and survived. That he wouldn't blame her. But she collected herself quickly, he saw. She'd always had a will of iron, and he saw that she'd learned how to apply that strength of will to her emotions. She'd changed in so many ways.

_Good for you, Sakura. I'm proud to have been your teacher. And your friend._

"Well, let me give you your massage, I'll wash your face, and then we'll read. Same old, same old, huh?" She smiled a bright, false smile. "I bought a new oil today. sandalwood. It reminds me of you, somehow. And I thought a change might be good, just in case this is having any effect on you." Sakura bustled around the bedside, adjusting Kakashi's gown and bedclothes.

This was nice, Kakashi thought, as Sakura's hands began to knead his arms. He preferred the scent of vetiver, though he'd never smelled it before Sakura had introduced it to him. Gai always reeked of sandalwood. But Sakura had always avoided Gai like the plague, so she wouldn't have known that. He creeped her out, she'd always said. Kakashi couldn't agree more. He'd worn sandalwood in his teens, until Gai had begun to ape him. Gai had gone so far as to purchase a mask, but never had the opportunity to wear it. Kakashi had beaten the tar out of Gai when he had shown it to him. He got the message for once.

Kakashi watched Sakura's face as she moved her hands along his arm. She'd closed her eyes, concentrating. "Have you noticed how much better your scars are? The adhesions are almost gone."

Well, of course he hadn't noticed. What the hell were adhesions? Kakashi would have laughed, were he able to do so. He couldn't move his arms, after all. But he did feel his scars move more easily under her touch than they ever did when he touched them. Of course, usually he ignored them. They weren't worth thinking about.

"Regardless of what Tsunade decides, I've ordered physical therapy for you, starting tomorrow. Massage won't be enough on its own to keep your muscles from contracting, and I also want to limit atrophy as much as we're able." Sakura leaned over to work on his other arm as she spoke. Her hair caressed his chest for just a moment, and her breasts pressed against the arm closest to her. She really had no idea what she was doing to him.

The usual tell-tale sign was missing, though. He was thankful for that, although it might give her some indication of his awareness. A rather large indication. He smiled inwardly, imagining the resulting conversation with Tsunade.

"_Tsunade-sama! He's responding! Finally, he's shown some sign of awareness." _

"_And what would that be, my child?"_

"_Well, when I was massaging him..."_

Sakura's hands moved to his chest, interrupting Kakashi's minor daydream. Her hands were expert, pushing into his flesh with just the right amount of pressure. _Taku! _This felt so good. Why had he never bothered to get a massage before? Right. That intimacy thing.

He was like Jinrai, he realized, dwelling on the scene where Jinrai had lain powerless as a goddess-like woman had touched him, caressed him. Well, two goddess-like women, actually. Jiraiya really did have a thing for threesomes. He wrote one into every story– it was a trademark of sorts. Kakashi didn't quite relate to this preference of the_ ero-sennin_. One woman at a time was enough for him. Not that he'd had much opportunity in recent years. He hadn't really been looking. He'd decided _Icha, Icha_ was enough, as real as he wanted to get in that arena. But this was enough to make him change his mind.

Kakashi caught a glimpse of Sakura's face as she rolled him over to a prone position. There was that look again. She hadn't bothered to hide it this time. It was clear, she felt something, too.

Kakashi smiled inwardly again, smugly this time.

_Even paralyzed, they can't resist you, Hatake._

Sakura gave a grunt of frustration, then moved from his side. She was a moment in the bathroom, and returned into his line of sight, a towel in her hands. She wiped her hands off, and Kakashi suddenly felt dispirited. Why was she ending it? She'd hardly touched his back.

Sakura cranked his bed down, lowering his torso flat, then turned the wheel that moved the bed up and down. She stood, dribbled a bit of oil onto his back and started kneading again.

_A sigh of relief would be appropriate right now_, Kakashi thought.

But Sakura moved from his side again, still not happy.

She grabbed the towel again and moved from his side. He heard the sound of a deadbolt sliding into place.

"It's not standard procedure to do this, but for some reason your back is really tight and I can't get the leverage I need to work the tension out. I'd never live it down, though, if someone walked in..."

_Maybe I do have some control over my body after all. Wait. Is she _straddling _me?_

This had to be a dream. But he hadn't dreamt of Sakura in years. Not in _that _way, anyway. He felt the warmth and pressure of her pelvis and rump on the small of his back, and felt his pulse quicken.

"This seems to be helping your circulation. Your wounds are completely healed now, you know."

_How can she be so calm through this? _

After a few minutes, she climbed off him, and moved to his feet.

_Feet? Who cares about my feet? Woman, get back on my back. Better yet, roll me over and do my chest again. Be sure to climb on top, though. Wouldn't want to miss a spot._

Torture, this was simply torture. Perhaps he wasn't in the hospital at all. Maybe the Hebi had dragged him back to some hidden encampment where their version of Ibiki was using his memories against him.

But he didn't have a memory of this, just a half-forgotten fantasy. And that hadn't even been about Sakura. No, this was tantalizingly, disturbingly real.

"Let me clean up, and I'll do your face." He heard running water, and the sound of a basin being filled. She rolled him to his back almost effortlessly. He'd forgotten how strong she was these days.

Her face was gentle, peaceful, as she washed his. This must be how she looks when she's asleep. He hadn't remembered such peacefulness when team seven had camped together. Of course, Naruto and Sasuke had been there. It was hard to feel peace around either of them. Kakashi wanted to caress her. What was she doing to him? He'd worked so hard to kill his feelings for her. But here they were, flooding back in full force.

Kakashi was glad when she replaced his mask and grabbed the copy of _Icha, Icha_. Somehow, it calmed his mind to read it. The scene might be graphic (fully 3/4 of each book was devoted to sex of some sort), but he'd made a game of turning the text into a _sutra _of sorts. As he read, he calmed himself, using his will to overcome the sensations the text produced in him, viewing the images produced in his mind with dispassion, the way a person meditating might let each sound heard wash over him, identifying it, noting it objectively, then letting it slip away. At other times, he read purely for enjoyment. Jiraiya did have a way with words. But he determined those times, no one else. He'd certainly never read for enjoyment in front of anyone else.

But he wasn't reading at the moment. He was listening. Listening to Sakura's sensuous voice, to her bubbling laughter as she pointed out the cliches rampant in the text. She was ruining it for him, she really was. Not the constant editorializing. He'd thought similar things on the first read-through of each volume. She was right, and rather amusing. She was ruining the real purpose of his books– not their value as a shield from interaction with others, but their usefulness in keeping him detached internally. He'd have to repay her for this. Kakashi did his best to ignore her voice, focusing instead on what he might do to humiliate her. Well, not humiliate her, exactly. That was too strong a word. He'd just teach her a lesson. But his thoughts scattered as he was pulled back into the story, again and again.

Finally, he simply gave up, and let Sakura's voice taunt and pleasure him.

_Mendo kusai_.


	10. A Visit With Ibiki

_Disclaimer: Naruto and associated characters are property of Masashi Kishimoto. They are not my property!_

**Fourteen Dates **

**Chapter 10–A Visit With Ibiki**

_a/n This chapter has two flaws (though hopefully, not fatal). First, there is almost no mention of Kakashi. Second, it is laden with pseudoscientific gobbledygook. I will say that I did my best to make the info on the brain as accurate as possible (apart from the chakra stuff, that is), and I really felt it was necessary to write all this as a lead-in to the next chapter. So please bear with me. The next chapter should be very interesting!_

"_Nou to zunou-shinnyuu no jitsu" translates to "brain and mind invasion technique."_

"I've made my decision." Tsunade had obviously had a rough night. Whether it was from overindulgence or because of the difficulty in deciding Kakashi's fate, Sakura could not tell. She had worked for Tsunade long enough, however, to know when to be quiet, and when to stay out of her way. Tsunade reached into her desk and pulled out a thick scroll, then pressed it into Sakura's hands. She cradled her hand in her heads, seemingly nursing a painful headache.

Sakura chose her words carefully. "Tsunade-_sama_, do you have any specific instructions?"

"Yes. Study the scroll for an hour or two, then join Morino Ibiki in the ANBU wing of headquarters. He'll be expecting you at ten. You'll be practicing the _jutsu _on him."

"I-Ibiki?"

Tsunade-nodded slightly. "No one understands the mind better."

"But Tsunade-_sama_, I'm examining Kakashi's brain, not his mind."

"Sakura, don't play dumb with me. It's an insult to both of us. You know full well that the brain and mind are inseparable. Ibiki knows this _jutsu_. His interrogation techniques are built around a variation of it."

Sakura opened her mouth to speak, then shut it. Tsunade was on the verge of becoming irate. Best to just leave things as they are. Arguing would make no difference, anyway. The fifth Hokage was nothing if not obstinate.

"In answer to your next question, Sakura, the reason Ibiki won't be doing the _jutsu _on Kakashi is because Ibiki is not a medic. He wouldn't have the first idea of what to look for."

_And I do?_

"And he doesn't have your _chakra _control. His interrogation techniques typically require brute force, not the subtlety of _chakra _manipulation. He doesn't have your awareness of the amount of chakra being applied. In his work, any damage resulting from overuse is seen as the price of extracting information. If Kakashi were aware, Ibiki could use his feedback to help regulate his chakra flow, and the process would be relatively pain-free. But if Kakashi were aware, we wouldn't be needing to do this procedure. Once Ibiki shows you the level of chakra you need to use, Kakashi will be in safe hands."

Tsunade looked up at Sakura, and saw her disturbed expression. "Sakura, I wouldn't have chosen you for this if you weren't the right person. You're still having reservations, aren't you?"

"Tsunade-_sama_, I'll do what you've directed. You do not need to worry about that."

"I've never worried about that where you're concerned, Sakura. And you haven't answered my question."

"I know that not all decisions are black and white, and that difficult choices are sometimes required. I was just..."

"What, Sakura?"

"I don't want to visit Ibiki's mind. Can you imagine the memories the man must have?"

"Whom would you practice on instead, Sakura?"

Sakura had no ready answer for this. She'd avoided thinking about the _jutsu_, hoping that Tsunade would decide against using it.

"It's dangerous, Sakura. You could cause serious brain damage if you use it incorrectly. So practicing on a friend is absolutely out of the question."

"But... Tsunade-_sama_. _Sensei_, couldn't _you _show me?"

"Sakura, I've never done this _jutsu_."

Sakura looked at her sensei in astonishment.

"As good as I am, you're better, Sakura. And I don't say that lightly. You're the person who can best master this technique. Now, go and practice. Get out of my sight, Haruno."

Sakura bowed and exited, and headed for the quiet of her own office. On second thought, she decided she'd rather be with Kakashi. His presence would fuel her courage.

Kakashi's eyes were closed again, Sakura noticed as she entered his room. They'd been open at this time the day before. He was definitely not on a regular sleep-wake cycle, one sign of a persistent vegetative state. Sakura had no idea whether or not this was good news. Perhaps his eyes had been open as a result of random neurons firing. Perhaps he was aware regardless of whether his eyes were open. As uncomfortable as she felt with the procedure she'd soon be doing, it _would _give her some answers. She resolved to focus on that silver lining.

"Good morning, Kakashi-_kun_," she said gently. "I thought I'd study in here, if that's alright with you." Sakura settled into the cozy recliner next to the bed and unrolled the scroll that Tsunade had given her. "_Nou to zunou-shinnyuu no jitsu_," was its title. At least its title was direct and to the point. What she was training to do was to invade Kakashi's brain illegally. And his mind.

The technique was straightforward, Sakura saw as she read through the scroll. Getting _to_ the brain would be routine. She could pour her chakra into any location on the body, and allow it to flow until it located a nerve, then follow the nerve to the spine and up to the brain. Or she could enter through the eye, and follow the optic nerve. Sakura planned to use the latter route, as the _Sharingan _seemed to be a central player in Kakashi's coma. Actually entering the brain would be more difficult. A thin, but definite wall of chakra-related energy protected the brain from casual entry. The _jutsu _punctured this wall just enough to let the user's chakra through.

Most of the scroll was devoted to detailing the many mistakes that could result from imprecise use of chakra while performing this _jutsu_, and to explaining the hows and whys of the damage that would result. According to the scroll, the brain, like all parts of the body, both generated and consumed chakra. Chakra generated by the brain was free to flow within and among the cells of the brain only, due to the barrier that isolated the brain from the body. Stresses placed on the brain, such as concentration, consumed chakra, and stresses placed on the body, such as extreme exercise, limited the oxygen available to the brain. With less oxygen, brain cells were less able to burn fuel and release energy. As a result, less food energy was converted to chakra. The upshot of this was that the amount ofchakra surrounding the brain's tissues could vary substantially. This was not a problem unless the amount of chakra dipped below a certain threshold. In this case, coma or death resulted.

Another danger lay in overloading this system. Because chakra was a form of energy, too much of it concentrated in one place could depolarize the electrochemical gradients that were responsible for transmitting signals throughout the brain. This could be temporary, or permanent. In other words, too much chakra could shut down or kill brain cells. Depending on the cells damaged, the result might be memory loss, or an inability to control certain body functions. If key areas of the brain were _permanently _damaged, the result would be incapacitation or even death. For this reason, Sakura read, extreme care should be used when probing the parts of the brain responsible for involuntary functions, such as breathing and the beating of the heart.

This explained a lot about Kakashi's condition, Sakura realized, finding herself becoming angry. Why was this knowledge hidden? Surely only the technique itself should be forbidden. The theory behind it would be useful knowledge for every medic. She had learned precious little about the brain in her studies, apart from basic anatomy. She had a general idea of the function of each part of the brain, but very little else. For instance, she knew that the largest part of the brain, the cerebrum, was involved in attention, judgement, intellect, and some of the control of movement of the body's muscles. Still another part of the cerebrum was involved with receiving and making sense of signals from the eye. And it was well known that the brain stem was involved in major body functions such as reflexes, sleeping, and breathing.

But the brain was the most complex organ in the body, and Konoha's medics and physicians knew next to nothing about it, when all was said and done. How on earth was she supposed to figure out what was wrong with Kakashi when the closest Sakura had ever been to a brain was the pickled specimen she'd dissected during her training?

Sakura hadn't even begun to digest all of the new information in this scroll. It contained information about the workings of the brain that no medic or physician knew, information Sakura would need to internalize if she had any chance of helping Kakashi. She'd need days– no, probably a week to make sense of all of it. But there was no way Tsunade would wait that long.

Sakura looked at her watch and realized it was time to meet with Ibiki. Ibiki the master interrogator. A man often described as a sadist. And not jokingly, as Kakashi often was. Sakura remembered the first time she had laid eyes on the man. He had administered the first portion of the _chunnin _exam, an impossible, _jounin_-level test he had designed to test not the students' academic skills, but their ability to spy. He had placed ringers around the room, supplied with answers beforehand to give the students an opportunity to cheat, although he'd told the class that anyone caught cheating would fail. It had been a horrible experience, far worse than Kakashi's bell test. At the conclusion of the test, Ibiki had removed his forehead protector, unveiling the multitude of thick, puckered scars that covered his hairless scalp. It was clear he was proud of the torture he'd endured in the line of duty. It was equally obvious that the man loved his work.

Sakura left the building, scroll in hand, and walked slowly towards the headquarters. She would need to practice the _jutsu_– that meant inspecting Ibiki's mind. She shuddered unwittingly. Jiraiya's stares had made her feel unclean– but this was a completely different feeling of filthiness. To move through the mind of a person who enjoyed torturing others, to be privy to his memories and the pleasurable feelings linked to them– the thought made Sakura's skin crawl.

And how would she know how much chakra to use? Tsunade mentioned the need for precise control. Sakura realized with sudden clarity that Ibiki would need to enter her mind to demonstrate. Sakura stopped walking as she was overcome by a feeling of complete panic. To have him inside her mind?

_Well at least you'll know firsthand how Kakashi is going to feel._

Kakashi. If it had been anyone else, Sakura would have argued against this treatment. But it was Kakashi, and she owed him. If nothing, else, now they'd be even.

She hurried into the HQ building.

...o...o...o...o...

"Morino-_senpai_. Thank you for agreeing to train me in this technique."

Morino Ibiki stood as Sakura entered his office, and regarded her curiously. "I was wondering if you were the same Haruno that scored so highly on _chunnin _exam years ago. You had the high score, you know. And you still have the same pink hair, I see. At that time I thought it was a symptom of teenage rebellion."

Apparently, she'd made an impression on the man. Maybe that was a good thing. Perhaps it would make him go easy on her. Sakura smiled cautiously at the man who'd be probing her brain.

"You've read the scroll, I gather? Tsunade-sama has briefed me on your mission. And also on your reluctance to go forward with said mission."

"I don't know enough about the brain to feel as though I'll be successful." She gathered her courage. "And I also question the morality of entering person's brain without his or her permission."

"I'm not an ethicist, so I can't help you there." His smile was more of a twisting of his lips, Sakura noticed.

"We'll start by taking a look at your brain. But to assuage your _morals_, I suppose I should ask your permission."

"Granted.'

"I think you'll find my chakra control is poor compared to your own. However, if you let me know when it hurts, I'll be able to back off to a level that feels comfortable to you, let still allows me to probe. We don't usually titrate in this way– it's not really necessary in other circumstances."

Sakura was anxious _not _to hear about these "other circumstances." She did her best to redirect the conversation. "Would you enter through the optic nerve? That's my plan for Kakashi's exam."

"Certainly." He performed the necessary seals, then laid a large, rough hand against Sakura's eye socket and pressed gently. This surprised Sakura. Nothing about this man seemed gentle. She felt his chakra pulse into her body, causing her to tense up immediately. She nearly screamed at the intense, consuming pain it produced.

"Too much! Too much!" Her eyes were closed, but she could tell he was grinning.

"How's this?"

"It still hurts." There were tears in her eyes now.

"Now?" Finally, she felt relief. Now that the pain was gone, she could measure the amount of chakra coursing into her eye. It was more than she used during physical examinations, far more.

"Do you really need to use that much chakra?"

"It's hard for me to tell exactly how much I'm using, but yes, it is a lot, and yes it is necessary. We have some theories as to why that would be–"

"What this _jutsu _developed by the interrogation squad?"

"Smart girl. Tsunade did well to choose you as apprentice. Yes, the _jutsu _is ours, as is the research supporting it. It's made a huge difference to our program."

"It explains why your name is known as far away as the rock country."

Ibiki made a funny noise. Sakura assumed it was his version of a laugh. "You can see, then, why the _jutsu _is so closely guarded."

"But why not share the research that supports it? The medical community could put it to great use. Lives would be saved."

"Enemy lives would be saved as well. With that information, they'd be able to devise their own _jutsu_. Our country cannot risk such a threat to our security." He removed his hand from her eye. "Do you have a feel for how much chakra to use?" Sakura nodded.

"I thought I would see images, or something that indicated you were probing my mind."

"Normally, you would. But I stayed mostly in your cerebellum. There are no memories stored there. Your balance was affected momentarily, but you probably didn't notice since you are seated."

_That was considerate_, Sakura thought. _And unexpected._ _Maybe he wasn't as bad as everyone said._

"Well then. Let's talk a bit about what to expect when you are exploring."

"I take it I'll be examining your brain?"

"I'm close in age to Hatake Kakashi, sound of mind, and male. The only other ANBU officers with access to this technique are female. Their brains are different."

"I meant no offense, _senpai_. Tsunade described you as the person in Konoha who knows the most about the mind's functioning. You are obviously best suited for the task."

"I directed the research that led to the jutsu."

_And withheld that information from the medical community, most likely._ "So what does a normal brain look like, and what are signs of brain damage? And how can you tell if damage is repairable?"

"Each normal, healthy cell will be producing chakra. The level of metabolism will influence how much. For instance, as we'll be talking during the exam, you should notice that the temporal lobe is a bit more brightly lit than the surrounding areas. But in general, all areas should be glowing. If they are not, the tissue is damaged or dead. Infusing small amounts of chakra into the area may give you an indication of which. Well, are you ready?" Ibiki traded places with Sakura, so that he sat in the desk chair and she on the examination stool.

She tentatively placed her hand against Ibiki's closed eye and allowed a trickle of chakra to enter.

"Even I can tell that's not enough, Haruno-_kohai_."

Sakura took a breath to gather her courage and sent the appropriate amount of chakra coursing into Ibiki's optic nerve. She felt it travel through the wall of energy that sealed off the brain, then change direction at the chiasma. At this point, she allowed it to flow to the surface of Ibiki's brain, which she saw indeed was evenly aglow with his chakra. She let her chakra flow to the temporal lobe and observed carefully as she directed a question toward him.

"How long can an exam safely last?" She saw an increased glow in a small patch, and a deeper glow coming from within.

"A very good question. Some have lasted as long as four hours, some as little as one."

"Lasted?" She was sorry she asked, but now she had the answer to how Ibiki knew so much about brain damage. Sakura allowed her chakra to branch out into creeping tendrils, covering much of the brain's surface as she did so. "Move your arm, please." Ibiki complied, and Sakura saw a small strip on the very top of the brain glow more lightly.

She allowed her chakra to delve more deeply into the brain, moving through the frontal lobes. She felt his shoulder jerk, then his leg. She continued moving.

"You just stimulated an olfactory center. I smell roses."

Now Sakura moved into the temporal lobes. Again, the cells were evenly surrounded with chakra. As her chakra pressed against the cells, images assailed her. Some were boring– a house, a car, people he assumed must be significant to Ibiki. Then she saw some that terrified her. She gasped as she pulled her chakra away hurriedly, and moved to find a safer place– any place that didn't store images. Or sound for that matter.

"I can see what you see, of course. It's funny that something that prosaic had such an obvious effect on you." His words were calm, and objective, as though he were rating her. "Perhaps you should move onto the occipital lobe."

"Yes, of course."

"Our studies have shown that the occipital lobes are the seat of vision. The optic nerves connect there, as you already know, and we've shown that images are processed and recognized here. Memories don't seem to be storied here, though, so you'll be safe." She heard his strange laugh again.

Sakura moved slowly through the tissue of this region, noting again how evenly distributed Ibiki's chakra was. "Could you open your other eye?" He did so, and Sakura saw the activity in the lobe increase, with a corresponding increase in chakra. This, she quickly realized, could tell her if Kakashi was actually seeing. She grew excited despite her immediate surroundings.

She moved through the cerebellum, finding it, too, to be diffusely lit. Her final stop was the brain stem. There were no surprises there, either. The brain stem was in constant use, and slightly brighter, therefore, than the other parts of the brain, but again, all cells glowed at about the same level.

"Is there anything else I should be looking for?"

"You're the medic."

"And you're the expert on brains."

"What I meant was that you are the person who best understands Hatake's symptoms, and could make an informed hypotheses about which areas of the brain are affected."

"I'll need to study the scroll for a while before I'll be anywhere close to making an informed hypothesis." She removed her hand from his eye and backed away. "Thank you for the training, Morino-_senpai_."

Sakura left the office as quickly as she could. She had an awful lot of reading to do, she realized. And an awful lot of thinking.


	11. Revelation

_Disclaimer: Naruto and associated characters are property of Masashi Kishimoto. They are not my property!_

**Fourteen Dates **

**Chapter 11–Revelation**

_a/n This chapter is rated M for sexual fantasies. You've been warned! Please skip this chapter if you are under 18 or easily offended._

Tsunade gave Sakura one extra day. Well, actually a little bit more. Sakura had the remainder of this day and part of the next to prepare for the exploration. They'd do the procedure in the late afternoon of the next day. That meant an all-nighter. Sakura grabbed her anatomy text and backpack and headed back to Kakashi's room. She might as kill two birds with one stone, she thought. She'd break up her studying with Kakashi's daily treatments, and observe him as time permitted.

He had company, she saw as she entered his room. Kurenai, this time. Her face was directed toward Kakashi, but it didn't appear as though she were really looking at him. Her thoughts were obviously elsewhere.

"It can help to talk to coma patients, you know. Sometimes they can hear what's going on around them." Sakura's voice was soft.

Kurenai looked up and smiled, slightly surprised. She hadn't noticed Sakura, it seemed.

"It feels so funny, though. Almost like talking to a dead man."

"He's not going to die, Kurenai."

"He's lucky to be in your care. I wish Asuma had been."

"I'm sorry, Kurenai. You must miss him terribly." Sakura paused. "I've talked to Tsunade about being assigned more missions. All of the medics should be. But we're understaffed and she can't spare us. I feel like it's a joke that I'm a _jounin_. My skills are becoming rusty."

"I heard you found him."

Sakura nodded. "I hadn't seen him in months, and then I stumbled across him. He'd pushed himself too far, as usual. He was almost dead."

"He cares about you."

Sakura looked at Kurenai, confusion apparent in your face.

"He always used to call you his favorite, you know."

"Funny, he never treated me that way."

"He overcompensated. I'm sure he didn't want anyone to think he favored you."

"You're talking about things that happened years ago– almost half my life ago. He was only my sensei for a little while. We really haven't spoken in eight years."

Kurenai ignored her. "Naruto and Sasuke used to drive him crazy with their rivalry and ed behavior. You were the level-headed one, relatively speaking. He used to say he could count on you to catch on first, to analyze things."

"This isn't a wake, you know. I promise you, he'll be fine."

"One thing Asuma always used to say was that we should live life like there was no tomorrow. That's why he smoked. 'What is the point in giving up a pleasure that might kill you tomorrow when tomorrow itself is so uncertain?' He always said that." Kurenai stood, and leaned in to give Kakashi a kiss on the forehead. "He was right, you know."

Kurenai walked to the door, and turned back to address Sakura. "Take good care of him."

"I will." Sakura walked to the recliner vacated by Kurenai and curled up in it. What had Kurenai been trying to say? What did something Kakashi had said about a twelve- or thirteen-year-old Sakura have to do with the present? Kurenai desperately missed Asuma, that much was certain. Perhaps that longing for him made her see things in others that really weren't there.

The morning exercise with Ibiki had drained her stamina. A quick cat nap and she'd begin studying. Her eyes closed almost immediately.

...o...o...o...o...

Sakura awoke to the patter of rain and the certainty that the sun had set quite a while before. The room was dark, and she nearly knocked over the reading lamp as she reached for it. How many hours had she lost? She swore as she moved to the window and opened it, hoping that a cool breeze might help her to stay awake. As long as Kakashi was well-covered, the slightly lower temperature wouldn't hurt him. His body was fine, after all. Sakura moved to the closet to find another blanket and spread it over him, suddenly noticing that his eyes were open again.

"When did this happen? _Kusa!_" She grabbed her pen and ran through the same eye test, which produced the expected result. Still nothing.

"Well, I'm glad you're awake." She might as well assume it. "I could use the company if I'm going to be up all night. Do you mind if I use you as a sounding board every now and then? It's not as interesting as _Icha, Icha,_ that's for sure, but it's for a good cause. And I promise I'll read you another chapter in an hour or two. _And _give you your massage. Deal? Blink twice if the answer is no." _Okay, that was a little cruel._

"The first thing you should know is that Tsunade ordered me to use the technique I told you about before. We'll be doing it tomorrow night. And, interestingly enough, the scroll containing the _jutsu _also includes all sorts of information about the brain that's not in any medical text. I've read them all, so I know what I'm talking about. So I'll be giving myself a crash course in anatomy and physiology tonight. And trying to make some predictions about what I'll find when I look around tomorrow."

Sakura read through the scroll again, taking notes as she did so. After two hours she realized this was folly, and put down her pen. She was only a small fraction of the way through the scroll. There was no way she'd be able to learn all of the information in the text by heart in the next few hours, even if she was at it all night and the next morning. What she needed to do was target her learning. She didn't need to know everything, she realized, although that was always preferable. What was critical to know was any background information that related to Kakashi's condition.

"Well, Kakashi? How about that massage?" She definitely needed a break from reading. "I didn't have time to pick up another essential oil. How about vetiver? I think it's my favorite."

...o...o...o...o...

It felt strange to have Sakura undressing him. But pleasant, definitely pleasant. Much nicer than being disrobed by the nurse who was taking care of his daily sponge baths. Today she'd brought along another nurse, presumably to gawk at his various attributes. As if the catheter wasn't humiliating enough. Kakashi had been glad that his eyes were shut. Just listening to their incessant, inane chatter was almost enough to drive him crazy. It was one thing to be a giggling twelve-year old, quite another to be a giggling thirty-year old. Ironically, Jiraiya had written no less than three separate scenarios involving a pair of nurses sponge-bathing a patient. In Kakashi's favorite, the nurses had decided that it would be far more efficient if the two of them were as naked as their patient. As much water had dripped upon them as on Jiraiya's stand-in. But the reality Kakashi had experienced that morning was far, far different than the fantasy. Thankfully, his pair of nurses had stayed away from his mask, despite the entreaties of the second nurse. The first seemed to be somewhat afraid of Sakura. Kakashi smiled inwardly at this. Sakura had grown and changed so much in the past eight years. He found that he respected and admired the woman she'd become. He hadn't noticed how similar they were. She was analytical like him, practical, and didn't put up with nonsense. That behavior, coming from Kakashi was intimidating enough, but from a woman, a young beautiful woman at that, it must be fear-inspiring. Sakura was well on her way to becoming another Tsunade.

Kakashi mercifully had fallen asleep a short time after his sponge bath. It was hard to stay awake in the near-silent room with nothing to stimulate his eyes. He'd awoken to a stiff neck, as the nurse had left him flat on his back with his head turned completely to the right. The first thing he'd seen when his eyes had opened (not by choice, just by chance, it seemed), was a feminine hand splayed over upper guardrail of his bed, and pink hair draped over the arm of the overstuffed, brown recliner that stood next to the bed. Sakura was here, and sleeping, it seemed, though it was still bright outside. He heard her steady breathing.

For the next hour, Kakashi watched the little of her that he could see, focusing first on the perfect ovals and crescent moons of her unpolished fingernails, then the soft creamy skin of her hand, and her long, elegant fingers. They belied her strength–it was hard to imagine that a perfect hand such as this could force the ground to crack, or pound through solid rock. He examined her hair next, the strange, lovely pink that he knew had bothered her as a teen. She hadn't liked to stand out. He'd heard Ino tease her on several occasions about her prominent forehead, which was really not that prominent at all, and which if anything, indicated her intelligence. Classic beauty was overrated, Kakashi thought. The most beautiful women he'd ever seen were those who had an imperfection that set them apart, which caused you to look at them twice and remember them. Sakura was beautiful in this way. And it was still quite clear that she still didn't know it. Kakashi found her all the more charming for it.

Her hair was silken, fine and shimmering, a perfect contrast to the nubby brown cloth of the recliner, and very touchable, he remembered. She still wore her _hitai-ate_ as headband, and she'd kept her hair short. It suited her, Kakashi thought. He imagined running his fingers though her hair, and tracing the place where hair's blunt-cut ends swung against her jaw. First with his finger, then perhaps with his lips. Or his tongue.

_Stop thinking about her that way. _

But he couldn't. She was the only thing in his field of view, and the only thing worth looking at even if he had been able to turn his head or move his eyes. And that included _Icha, Icha_, he realized.

And now she was massaging him. And she'd locked the door. She started with his feet, this time, and Kakashi compared the difference between her touch and that of the sponge-bath nurse. Sakura was managing to make even a foot massage a highly sensual, almost erotic experience. He wanted more, and wished he could moan his pleasure. Kakashi felt Sakura's hands move up his legs, and firmly caress his calves. He never knew the backs of his knees were so sensitive.

"Kakashi? I hope you don't mind if I think aloud."

_Think aloud? This is no time for thinking._

"I need to figure out what it is I should be looking for tomorrow." Sakura's hands left Kakashi's legs as she stood and stretched.

_No! Focus on me! Well, you _are _focusing on me, I realize that, but not in the way I want. _Touch me_, Sakura._

Sakura leaned over Kakashi and began to massage his chest.

_That's more like it._ Kakashi had an excellent view of Sakura now, as she leaned in to him, using her weight to increase the pressure of her hands. Her uniform was cut just low enough for him to see the soft curve of her upper breasts, and as her arms moved closer together her cleavage became more apparent. _Mmm. You know what would make this massage that much better? If you climbed on top of me again._ _Or if the top button of your uniform suddenly unfastened. _

No such luck.

"So, let's review your symptoms. I'm guessing you're aware, but that may be wishful thinking. So to be objective, let's not rule out that you're still unconscious. That means I definitely need to look at your brain stem. It should be completely lit up, if you're aware and alert, probably only partially lit if you're not, since you're still breathing, and your heart is beating. Hmm."

_Hmm._ He imagined her naked, straddling him, massaging a part of his body she'd neglected so far. He imagined the feeling of her body against his, how her skin would taste as he traced his tongue against it with long, feathery strokes, how it would feel to kiss her neck, her shoulders, her breasts. Her breasts would be firm, he was sure of it. He could see she wasn't wearing much of a bra, and didn't need to. Of course, she was probably insecure about that. What had her comment been about Ino? Something about tremendous breasts. How could Sakura not see that she was perfect– absolutely perfect, just the way she was?

_I wonder what color bra you're wearing._

She leaned a little lower.

_Ah, black, my favorite. Suits you, too._

He imagined taking her, again and again, pleasuring her to the point of exhaustion. What would it sound like when she cried out his name? What would she look like when he'd driven her to the point where she completely lost control? An image of Sakura shimmered before him, overlaid upon the reality in front of him. Her skin was flushed, her hair covered her face as she cried out in ecstasy, cried his name over and over...

"Kakashi, if you _are _aware, you don't have voluntary control of your muscles, not even your eyes. So the motor cortex within your frontal lobe could be involved. It's definitely not a spinal problem--you have reflexes. And your eyes dilate and constrict normally. But can you feel my touch? Can you smell? Has any of this been having an effect? I'll need to check your parietal and temporal lobes to find out."

_I can most definitely feel your touch, Sakura, and you smell like heaven. Yes, you're having an effect on me– I'm not dead! I am definitely not dead. I want you, Sakura. And I'm a complete pervert, an even bigger _hentai _than Jiraiya. My former student--my current medic-- a highly respected medical professional, is talking to me about my health and I'm imagining making love to her. And I don't want to stop._

"And how is your eye involved? The _Sharingan _has some critical role in all of this– it must be the thing that connects all of your symptoms. But vision is in a different lobe than these other things. Or am I just making an assumptions based on the anatomy I've already learned?"

_You haven't learned all of _my_ anatomy. Not yet._

Sakura's glance moved to the scroll sitting partially unrolled on the table nearby. _That's _what I need to study! I need to–-"She jumped down from the bed and ran to grab her notebook, ignoring the oily palm print she placed on its cover. She began to scribble quickly. "I need to map out all of the places involved with visual perception and then check to see if they've been affected. And are these other areas in proximity to the visual centers? Could they have been shut down as well? Maybe the _Sharingan _somehow drained or overloaded them just because they're neighbors to the visual centers. They can't be shut down because of something random like a seizure, where the brain is going haywire. Your symptoms would be totally different."

_What?_ _Don't stop!_ What had she been talking about, just now, anyway? Something about his anatomy. His eye. Her brilliant mind must have made some new connection, figured out something important. He probably should have been paying attention. But really, how could he? Kakashi saw the excitement on Sakura's face, and a smile he realized he had seen very rarely in the past eight years. True, he'd avoided her, and when they did meet she did smile, but a false smile, one that didn't use all of the necessary muscles, a smile that left the eyes sad. It was a smile that would be convincing to most people, a smile that she'd definitely practiced to near perfection. A smile very similar to the one he often wore. Therefore, it didn't fool him. And Kakashi was sure that this wasn't a smile she reserved only for him. He'd come across her several times in the company of her friends, and he'd observed Sakura's interactions without her knowledge. That smile seemed to be standard issue. He'd also come across her when she was alone, pensive. She was sad then, or serious. Had he done this to her?

And why was she alone? She _was _alone, he was sure of it. He never saw her in the bars or nightclubs frequented by _shinobi_, or in the park, or anywhere a person would go with a date. And if she were in a long-term relationship that had somehow surpassed the need to be seen in public, or some hidden tryst that required meeting in secret, he was sure he'd still know it. His friends were remarkable gossips, and so, for that matter was Sakura's best friend. No, she was definitely alone. And she shouldn't be. Not a woman as smart, as strong, as beautiful as she. As sweet as she. Not his Sakura. Was this his fault, too? He needed to find out.

"I'm sorry to cut your massage short, Kakashi. I need to get all this down on paper." He heard her pen scratching, and an occasional murmur of surprise or satisfaction as she paged through her medical text or reexamined scrolls.

"I didn't tell you about my visit with Ibiki," Sakura said after a while.

_Ibiki? Morino? Master torturer– er, "interrogator"?_

"Tsunade sent me to him to learn the _jutsu _I'll be using. He's pretty creepy, but it wasn't as bad as I feared."

_Pretty creepy? That's an understatement. The man is a sadist, plain and simple_.

"Turns out the interrogation team has done an amazing amount of research on how the brain works. They've classified it all as "forbidden," which isn't right. It's horrible that the technique that is going to help you was tested the way it was, and even worse that we're not putting the information they've gathered to use. There's stuff in this scroll that no other medic knows, Kakashi. They've completely mapped the visual functioning of the brain. There are different pathways depending on whether the eyes are moving quickly, in pursuit of prey, or in opposite directions. And they've done a lot on paralysis, too. I'm sure there's an interrogation-related reason for all of it, though. I'd hate to be a research subject."

She was on the verge of something big, Kakashi could tell. Her face had the expression he'd first seen years ago– the look of someone in the process of putting two and two together. Or in this case, a more complex set of numbers.

"I'll be back in ten minutes, Kakashi. I need some coffee. I'm feeling like a zombie and it's only midnight."

She was only gone for five. Her face was flushed as she ran back into his room, sloshing coffee onto the floor. "Kakashi! I've figured something out! Have you ever heard of the "Old Hag phenomenon? I've been trying to go through all possible scenarios. Your coma this time is different– your records say that your eyes never opened this early before. So maybe the massages and the reading and the fragrance are helping. In that case, you're aware. I'm _sure _you're aware. So, if you're aware, why aren't you moving? Even your eyes aren't moving. But you do move involuntarily– so it's not a spinal injury. That means something else in your brain is affected. Possibly all of your motor cortex– but what would that have to do with your Sharingan? This has got to be related to you overusing that eye. That's where the Old Hag comes in. Sometimes a person will wake up and be completely unable to move his body. People used to think an evil spirit or an old hag was the cause of it, because occasionally the person might feel as if someone was in the room, or feel a lot of anxiety, or even feel like someone was sitting on his chest. But Ibiki's research shows that a certain part of the brain stem shuts down muscle movement during sleep– probably so that we don't hurt ourselves by acting out our dreams. So, I was just thinking that if that switch isn't flipped back on when a person woke up, he'd be awake, but essentially paralyzed."

Sakura paused for a moment, then continued in a voice that was much more sober. "But what it doesn't explain is why you can't move your eyes. When you're dreaming, your eyes move rapidly. They aren't shut down by that switch. Grrr. I really thought I was onto something." She picked up the scroll and continued reading. Kakashi wished she were in his line of sight. The ceiling was getting a bit boring.

_I like it when she growls._

After a while, Sakura addressed him. "I see you're still awake. I never pegged you as a night owl. Would you like to read?" She moved to his bed and cranked it to a semi-upright position, then moved to the recliner and picked up _Icha, Icha Takutikusu._

Jinrai had moved on to a new town and a new conquest. Kakashi found he wasn't really that interested. That was a first. The women described were standard Jiraiya fare– disproportionately top heavy, wanton, and completely interchangeable. Kakashi much preferred the woman sitting right by his side. Kakashi let his mind wander, guided only by the general direction of the words he heard. He imagined his lips on Sakura's cherry red ones, his tongue feeling their satiny smoothness, and exploring inside her mouth. He imagined how it would to have her legs wrapped around him, and what it would feel like to enter her, to move inside her. He fervently wished he had been her first. Her only. And he suddenly realized that if he ever did have her, no one else would.

_Stop it. Stop thinking about her._ How was it possible that he wanted her this much?

Kakashi noticed she'd stopped reading. She'd fallen asleep again. He hoped she'd sleep the night through. She obviously needed it. So did he.


	12. Exploration

_Disclaimer: Naruto and associated characters are property of Masashi Kishimoto. They are not my property!_

**Fourteen Dates **

**Chapter 12–Exploration**

_a/n This is a long chapter. Longest yet, actually. It is also the last chapter (I think) that will be discussing Kakashi's brain in detail, so please bear with me. I wanted the opportunity to flesh out Sakura a little and show she is a lot more than she was at the start of the series. I think I am about halfway done with the story– we haven't gotten to the fourteen dates yet (the point of the story), but I think they will be very interesting. This chapter, unlike the previous, is rated "T" but please be advised that there is more "M" stuff coming in future chapters. Kakashi is thirty-eight, after all. _

_You're getting sloppy, Hatake. _It was early morning, and Kakashi was wide awake. He shouldn't have allowed his mind to run rampant the night before. Sakura was going to be taking a stroll through his mind today, and would probably jump out of her skin if she came across the memory of the fantasy he'd replayed over and over as he'd tried to fall asleep. Then she'd probably pound him to within an inch of his life. He was sure he'd burned the scene into his long term memory, where it was undoubtedly occupying a prime position, just waiting for Sakura to stumble upon it. He should have better control of his emotions. A _shinobi's _greatest asset was his mind, and Kakashi had let his run amok, completely out of control.

But what were the chances Sakura would trigger this particular recollection? There must be millions of memories in his mind, and from the bits and pieces of her monologue that he'd actually listened to the night before, it didn't sound as though she'd be exhaustive in her exam. She'd said she would be looking for specific things. But still. Kakashi sighed inwardly. He couldn't chance Sakura finding the memory of her naked form crying out in passion. That would be awkward, to say the least.

As an ANBU operative, Kakashi had been trained by Ibiki himself in defenses against mind penetration. He'd already been on the receiving end of the _jutsu _that Sakura was studying, so that Ibiki could show him a technique for masking thoughts and memories. It was a meditative technique, thankfully requiring no hand seals, just the ability to concentrate. Ibiki was a master of this skill, as he'd developed it, and could seal off large portions of his mind without any signs that he'd done so. The brain cells in question would appear to have normal metabolic activity, and would be surrounded by normal amounts of chakra. To an examiner, then, the brain would appear healthy. A few memories would be hidden from view, but the examiner wouldn't be able to tell. Kakashi had no doubt that this was why Sakura had said that her training with Ibiki hadn't been as bad as she'd expected. Ibiki hadn't allowed her to peer deeply within his mind. It wouldn't have been out of concern or compassion that Ibiki would have done so. He was devoid of both traits. Most likely it was because Ibiki's mind was very much a database to be accessed on a strict need-to-know basis. Sakura had been shown the very minimum she'd need to perform the _jutsu _successfully. This was a good thing. The things Ibiki had done in his career as "interrogator" should not be seen by someone as caring as Sakura. Ibiki's memories would wound her irreparably.

Kakashi had nowhere near the aptitude of Ibiki in suppressing memories. He was able to mask only one block of memories at a time. There were many things he would have blocked if he were able. But this fantasy was undoubtedly the most important.

Kakashi began meditating, practicing the masking technique, but found himself unable to concentrate. How appropriate the name of this technique was, he thought. He'd lived most of his life behind a mask, and for good reason. Sakura would be the first person to move beyond it. Not the physical mask. There had been a few women who had glimpsed his face, though he'd typically done his best to keep the lights out on those occasions. Physical pleasures just weren't the same with a piece of cloth, however thin, covering one of the most sensitive parts of the body. And if he were going to go to all the trouble of picking up and taking home a prospective one-night stand, he wanted it to feel as good as possible.

Sakura would be the first to get a good look at the person he was inside. She was afraid of this– she'd called it rape. But Kakashi realized he was willing. He wished he could let her know this. If anyone was to find out who he really was, what had made him the person he was, he wanted it to be Sakura. She would understand, he knew. She would observe, but not judge. She would do for him what he'd done for her, years ago.

_I still feel the same way about her. Damn it._

Why had he left? Why had he severed their friendship? What would she have done if he'd told her, eight years before, that he had feelings for her? Would she have understood? Would she have seen him as a twisted old man? Would she have felt violated? It had seemed like the right thing to do at the time– to leave without a word, to be gone for two years straight. But the truth was, he'd been cowardly. He'd never felt that way about a woman– or in this case, a girl– before. It had clearly been beyond the physical. But he'd done too much to isolate and insulate himself to be able to reach out back then, or even acknowledge that what he had felt for her was different– completely different– than the feelings he had felt during casual encounters.

She was stirring. Kakashi waited to hear a string of expletives. He wasn't disappointed. She was upset she'd fallen asleep and wasted valuable hours of the limited time she had to prepare for the procedure. He heard her grumbling as she moved about the room. She was definitely not a morning person. Of course she'd made that abundantly clear years before, as a student. She was always the last to rise, staying in her bedroll despite the clanging in her ears of metal spoon against saucepan, or whatever else he could devise. Cold water worked well. And Sakura never was in a good mood, once she did roll out of bed. On several occasions she'd made it clear that she didn't appreciate his improvised alarm clocks. Or the self-satisfied smirk that was evident, even through his mask.

"What was I dreaming about?" She muttered, still not quite awake. "Saccades. Where is that stupid scroll? Ugh. I feel like something crawled inside my mouth and died." She stumbled into the bathroom, where he heard her groan in disgust, or perhaps despair.

"Oh. Good morning," she said, returning to the room quite some time later. Apparently she hadn't noticed earlier that his eyes were open. "I apologize for my language. I didn't realize I had an audience." Was she blushing? Well, perhaps she should be. Her creative use of expletives could put any sailor to shame. "I'm going to go home in a little while for a shower. I don't feel quite human at the moment. But first– oh, there it is!" She dropped out of Kakashi's line of sight. He heard her scrabbling for something under the bed. Kakashi's mind flashed to a similar incident some time before, when he'd been treated to an absolutely lovely view of her posterior as she had reached under a desk.

"Found it. Now what was that dream about?" Sakura settled into a straight-backed chair and scanned through the medical scroll, unrolling it as she went. She became very quiet as she concentrated, and Kakashi decided his time would be best spent concentrating as well. He cleared his mind to practice the mind masking technique and was making some headway when he heard Sakura's cry.

"Kakashi! This has to be it!" She seemed even more delighted than she had the night before when she told him about the Old Hag phenomenon. "For whatever reason, Ibiki's team mapped the exact areas of the brain that are used during saccades–when the eye is making quick scanning movements. The visual cortex is involved, which you would expect. But so is a small area of the brain stem. And it's so close to the area involved in the Old Hag phenomenon. This _must _be it!"

Sakura jumped up and grabbed her backpack, then planted a small kiss on Kakashi's forehead, much to his surprise. "I'll see you soon!" she called as she ran from the room.

_What was that for?_ Kakashi wondered.

...o...o...o...o...

"I had hoped to join you this afternoon," Tsunade said, as she stood to walk Sakura to her door, "but unfortunately, I can't, as there is a meeting I must attend that can't be rescheduled. The procedure you'll be doing is not to be shared with staff, so you'll be on your own." She pulled a small digital recorder from her pocket, an instrument Sakura had never seen before. "I know you'll want to take notes, so use this. It's pretty self-explanatory. Just hit 'record', when you're ready to begin, and set it someplace close by." Tsunade saw the nervousness in her pupil's eyes, and responded uncharacteristically, by taking Sakura's hand in her own. "Sakura, don't worry. Kakashi is in good hands. He'll understand. I'm absolutely sure. Sakura, I know that I wouldn't have come up with the hypothesis you just described to me. You are honestly the best person for the job." She smiled and released Sakura's hand, pulling her tight against her ample breasts. "I know you'll make me proud."

_Tsunade must be drunk_, Sakura thought to herself as she headed back to Kakashi's room. But she hadn't smelled of sake. And even drunk she wasn't touchy-feely. _Hmm. Maybe she meant it. _Sakura suddenly felt a lot more confident.

It was past five o'clock, visiting hours were over, and Sakura was unlikely to be disturbed by the staff as she worked. Nevertheless, she locked the door, after placing a sign on the door that read, "Testing in progress– absolutely no admittance.'

"Well?" She turned to Kakashi, who looked much the same as he had earlier in the day. "Are you ready?" She felt her heart beating rapidly, and took a deep breath to calm herself. She had never before felt so anxious about performing a procedure. "I want to check your vitals first, and see if anything's changed since yesterday." She launched into a series of simple tests that she'd done many times over the past two weeks. The only difference she saw was that a slight amount of _chakra _had returned to Kakashi's _Sharingan _eye.

"Kakashi, I want to tell you again how much I regret having to do this procedure. I know you value your privacy, and I know that I'm intruding. I want you to know that anything I see will remain privileged information. I won't tell a soul, not even Tsunade. Actually, I'll do my best to forget, as well. What I'm trying to say is – I'm sorry, Kakashi. I hope you'll forgive me." Her eyes glazed a bit as she struggled to fight back tears. She was successful. Her meditation practice really had worked wonders.

"I think this is going to work, you know." She smiled a small smile, but a real smile. "Let's begin."

Sakura sat on the edge of Kakashi's bed, and reached across him to place the recorder on his bedside table. She had decided that afternoon to move systematically through Kakashi's brain. She would enter through his _Sharingan _eye first, and use its optic nerve to access the right side of Kakashi's brain, the side that connected to and worked with that eye. She would then do the same with the other side of his brain, and compare the patterns she saw in each side.

Sakura made the necessary hand seals to activate the _jutsu_, then leaned over Kakashi's body, placing her right hand on Kakashi's _Sharingan _eye, and balancing her weight on her left hand. She allowed her _chakra _to trickle in at first, slowly increasing the flow until it was at the level Ibiki had indicated was necessary. She felt her _chakra _travel up through Kakashi's optic nerve until it reached the barrier she had felt when examining Ibiki, then a definite surge forward as her _chakra _pierced the energy-laden barrier. This was _Kakashi's _optic nerve, Sakura realized. The chakra signature she had felt was different from that she'd just felt in the _Sharingan _eye. She had wondered before whether the _Sharingan _eye had been transplanted with its own optic nerve, or if Rin had attached it directly to Kakashi's system. The optic nerve connected to both the eye's retina and to the brain. The surgery Rin had done would have been exceptionally difficult, either way. But the optic nerve was more brain-like in its makeup than other nerves– it made sense that Rin had decided to use Kakashi's. And perhaps it had been easier to limit her work to the eye only, as she was performing surgery under less than optimal conditions, in the field. This offered a possible explanation for Kakashi's symptoms, though. Sakura had learned through her examination of Sasuke and his daughter that the optic nerve changed as the Sharingan developed. Perhaps Kakashi's optic nerve, not having the traits of the _kekkei genkai_, was not suited for these changes.

Sakura continued traveling along the optic nerve, feeling it branch as it passed through the optic chiasma. She stayed with the fibers that were traveling to the right occipital lobe, the seat of visual reception. Sakura allowed her _chakra _to delve into this region, closing her eyes to better concentrate on the large amounts of information her _chakra _was revealing.

The tissue here was healthy. Ibiki had said overworked tissue would have almost no _chakra_, and dead tissue would have none. All cells here appeared to be active. She allowed her _chakra _to move further into this region, continuing to look for any abnormalities. Suddenly, she found one, in the very area Ibiki had described as a visual center. The tissue here was not damaged. On the contrary, it was surrounded with far more _chakra _than was normal. It was as though she had come across a city street lit for a nighttime festival in an otherwise unremarkable village. The contrast with the surrounding tissue was extreme. This excess of energy would be causing the encompassed neurons to fire continually. If this continued, the neurons would burn out, and Kakashi's vision would be compromised. Sakura gently pulled this excess _chakra _toward her, forcing it merge with her own chakra. The tissue began to glow at a more steady, dim level. She pulled the _chakra _into her body, and realized, with a start, that it wasn't Kakashi's _chakra _that she felt. It was the same _chakra _she had felt within the Sharingan– Obito's _chakra_.

Part of her hypothesis had been confirmed. The _Sharingan _was affecting regions of the brain involved in vision– regions of the brain connected in physically linked pathways. An overload of _chakra_– created by the _Sharingan _eye-- had backed up into Kakashi's own tissues, and was activating those neurons.

It was going to take a while to clean things up, Sakura realized. There were many locations within the brain linked to visual pathways-- Ibiki's work had shown this. As the neurons within the pathway were physically connected, it was quite possible that if one visual region was overloaded with _chakra_, others were.

But had Ibiki's work been complete? There had to be billions and billions of neurons in the brain– surely the interrogation team hadn't learned everything there was to know. And certainly their purpose wasn't basic research– they weren't learning for the sake of learning. They were learning for the sake of improvements in their interrogation technique. Sakura sighed. She had wanted to avoid this, but she realized she would need to probe Kakashi's entire brain. If she didn't, it was quite possible she'd miss something critical, something that might cause brain damage if it were unattended to.

Well, at least this part of the cerebrum had been completely examined. Sakura moved on to the adjacent lobe, the parietal, the place where sensations of touch were received. Here was another small patch of overly bright _chakra_. She diminished it as before, and continued searching, moving into the frontal lobe. It was clean, Sakura saw, no damage or unusual _chakra _activity. She breathed a sigh of relief. The frontal lobe managed higher behaviors of humans, such as abstract thinking, creativity and personality. Damage to this part of the brain was devastating, as the person who recovered might have major changes in the traits that defined who they were as a person. Sakura noticed something else as her _chakra _moved within this region. Kakashi was clearly unable to move, yet the region of this lobe responsible for controlling movement was unaffected–neither too bright nor too dim, in terms of _chakra_. Sakura allowed her _chakra _to move more closely against several of these cells, surrounding them. When Ibiki had done this to her, Sakura's balance had been compromised, as the cells involved in that response had been activated. Sakura opened her eyes, looking for some body movement from Kakashi. His hand twitched. She moved along the motor cortex and tried again. This time his leg moved. So this tissue wasn't damaged. Some other region must be involved, keeping these neurons from firing, keeping Kakashi paralyzed.

On to the temporal lobe, then. This was the place she most feared– the site of auditory and visual memories. But she had to look– it was entirely possible that there were links back to other visual centers. She began to probe, to allow her _chakra _to ebb and flow around this tissue. She wouldn't allow her _chakra _to move too close and trigger memories. She figured that if she did not surround these cells, they wouldn't fire. She was wrong. Despite her caution, memories spilled out. Apparently these cells were more sensitive than those of the motor cortex. Some memories were mundane– Sakura saw, in her mind's eye the Ichiraku ramen shop, and a typically hyperactive Naruto eating faster than one might have thought humanly possible. Another memory flashed on– a woodland scene. A pack of dogs appeared from nowhere. Sakura remembered these dogs from the fight with Zabuza. Yet another memory, this time with audio– "Kakashi, you've made us very proud." A silver haired man said these words, a man with the same build as Kakashi, and the same hooded eyes. He was breathtakingly handsome in his jounin uniform. The woman next to him was slight, with long black hair and warm brown eyes. She bent down, presumably to give Kakashi a hug. _These must be his parents. He must have been young– his mother knelt to hug him. _Sakura remembered hearing that Kakashi had been a prodigy. Perhaps this was the day he became a _chunin_.

Sakura didn't want to see and hear these memories. They were private. She tried to move quickly through this part of his brain, but more and more memories flashed on, and once on, she couldn't escape them. Here was team seven, but as twelve year olds. Sakura heard Kakashi's laughter as he tied Naruto to the tree stump, and felt something, as well– a feeling of hope that this team might actually pass the test. And there she was, suspended by her feet from the limb of an evergreen. It was the day they'd learned tree-walking. A feeling of pride filled her. But, she realized, it wasn't her own feeling– it was Kakashi's. _He _had _been proud of me. Was Kurenai right?_

Sakura had completed exploring Kakashi's cerebrum– this side of it, anyway. She hadn't touched the other hemisphere yet. Thankfully, she hadn't seen anything too private. She was glad. She moved along the surface of his brain, to the place closest to the base of Kakashi's skull– the cerebellum. She was pleased to find that it was completely normal.

Now onto the brain stem, the part of the brain that managed vital functions, such as heart rate, respiration, and certain reflexes. It was also the part of the brain that determined whether a person was asleep or awake and alert. This region was the part of the brain that must be involved in the Old Hag phenomenon. Ibiki's work had shown that certain eye movements linked back to this region. Sakura began to explore its surface. Disappointingly, the tissue was evenly lit, as Ibiki's had been. She delved deeper and nearly shouted.

"Kakashi! It's here!" Two very small regions were lit even more brightly than the visual centers had been. Sakura thought back to the drawings she'd made. The first region was the center for arousal– the part of the brain that controlled sleeping and waking. Only a very small part of this center burned brighter than its neighboring cells. Apparently, then, Kakashi had been aware. The only part that was overly lit was the small bundle of cells involved in the Old Hag phenomenon– the cells that shut down body movement during dreams. The second region of brightly lit cells was the small cluster of cells involved in controlling eye movement. With these cells over excited, the signal to move would not be transmitted, and Kakashi would be unable to move his eyes. Sakura had been right. Kakashi _had _been aware, just unable to move. And the reason for this was as she had predicted. Sakura smiled as she carefully surrounded these two regions with her _chakra_, and drew off the excess energy, concentrating to draw it out of Kakashi's body and into her own.

She nearly jumped as she felt a hand grab her arm.

"Sa–" His voice was hoarse as he struggled to say her name.

"Kakashi." Sakura couldn't say anything more. She felt relief wash over her.

"Sakura. Thank you." He spoke slowly. It was obviously an effort to speak.

Sakura regarded him. The little of his face that she could see was peaceful. His face was relaxed, his eye lazily hooded as it normally was. She saw it crinkle in the way that it did when he smiled.

"I knew I could count on you."

"Kakashi, I'm not done yet. I'm only halfway done. I need to make sure nothing else is overloaded. Are you okay with that?"

Kakashi nodded. "I think you know best," he said, and closed his eyes.

Sakura used her left hand, this time, and entered Kakashi's right eye, exploring each region of his brain's left hemisphere. Everything appeared to be normal. The visual centers were not lit here– apparently communication between these cells and the _Sharingan _was normal. This also meant that probably he had been able to see with his native eye during these past days.

There was only one region left– the temporal lobe. Sakura gingerly allowed her _chakra _to move forward into it, and immediately memories rushed at her. She saw a mountainous region, and Sasuke practicing _chidori_, blasting tremendous holes into a rock face, a look of satisfaction in his face. Another image replaced it. She saw herself in close-up, apparently only inches away from Kakashi's face. Her eyes were red and puffy. She'd been crying, and he was comforting her. She felt the warmth of his affection to her, his concern.

_So why did he leave?_ The thought intruded on her.

Sakura pushed on, moving as quickly as she could through this minefield of memories. She saw Naruto lying near an immensely tall statue, his body lifeless. She heard the thought, "I'm too late," and a feeling of despair. The image flickered, and was replaced with another. She saw a boy who looked a bit like Sasuke, and who, like Sasuke, had eyes of Sharingan red. She heard a shout, then a crashing of boulders. Dust cleared, and she saw the boy's right side was pinned, crushed under tons of rock. She felt anguish and tremendous guilt. She shouldn't be seeing this. Then, she realized, the guilt she felt was not only her own. The images faded. Now she heard only words. Jiraiya's words, it seemed. First in Kakashi's voice, then in her own voice. Sakura blushed deeply. Apparently he'd heard and processed what she'd read.

There wasn't much left to probe. Sakura sighed with relief at the fact that this examination was nearly complete. Then she gasped. Another memory had rushed into view–clearer then some of the others. It was joined with intense, overwhelming emotion. She heard a young boy's voice call "Father?" and saw the back of the tall, handsome jounin she had inferred was Kakashi's dad. The man turned, and Sakura saw the kunai he had pushed into his abdomen, then twisted until blood flowed freely. His blood drenched his clothing and spattered to the ground. "Kakashi," the man cried, as he dropped to his knees, still pressing the knife into his flesh. "Live with honor, son. There is nothing else."

Sakura's hand dropped to her side. Her tears flowed freely.

"Kakashi. I am so sorry. I didn't want to do this to you."

Kakashi's eyes were closed, but he reached for her, and pulled her to him. "Sakura. Don't apologize."


	13. Discharge

_Disclaimer: Naruto and associated characters are property of Masashi Kishimoto. They are not my property!_

**Fourteen Dates **

**Chapter 13–Discharge**

_a/n You really shouldn't be reading this if you don't want to read about Kakashi's fantasy life. The man reads semi-pornographic novels, for crying out loud! Also, there _will _be a relationship developing between Kakashi and Sakura, and there _will _be details. You've been warned!_

Sakura stretched a bit, and nestled into the warm pillow that lay against her cheek. It wasn't as soft as she was used to, though, but it smelled wonderful– a bit like a freshly- cut meadow, mixed with a distinctly earthy, masculine scent. Sakura lifted her head and took in her surroundings. _Kuso._ She'd fallen asleep. Her head had been resting on Kakashi's chest. How exactly had she ended up in this position, halfway curled against his side, halfway draped across him? She had been distraught over what she had inadvertently seen, upset over invading his most private memories, and had backed away from him with a truly contrite feeling in her heart and an apology on her lips. But Kakashi had pulled her close. Told her not to apologize. He hadn't said another word, but what he _had _said sounded so accepting, so unperturbed. Sakura had felt so comfortable then, so at home, the way she'd felt years ago when he'd been the support she'd needed to get through the losses that had nearly devastated her. She'd fallen asleep in his arms several times back then, though she'd always awakened later in her own apartment, in her own bed, with a hastily scrawled note for company.

She'd fallen asleep in his arms tonight, completely drained from the experience of exploring his mind, and by the anxiety that had dogged her as she had anticipated the procedure. Sakura slipped out of the bed she lay in now, carefully removing the arm that Kakashi had draped loosely around her, and pushing aside the spare blanket that somehow had been pulled up to cover her. He had not minded her presence, it seemed. Or perhaps he had just been too tired to send her on her way. Hmm. Probably the latter, knowing Kakashi. Only Shikamaru was lazier, it seemed. What time _was _it? Eleven._ This is completely inappropriate. _The staff must be wondering why she'd been in here so long. The sign she'd clipped to the door pretty much advertised the fact that she was present– her handwriting was distinct-- and the nursing staff would have come by at least twice in the intervening time to check on their patient, and noted the locked door. It didn't matter, though, Sakura told herself. Most of the staff, even many of the younger medics, were afraid of her. Just a glance from Sakura would stop any gossip dead in its tracks.

Sakura reached in her backpack for a comb, and hastily arranged her hair into a style that looked less sleep-mussed. She ripped a piece of paper from her notebook and wrote a quick note to Kakashi, forbidding him to leave until she formally discharged him. She would need to run a battery of neurological tests to be sure he was completely healed. She hoped he wouldn't discharge himself in her absence, or just skip out, as he'd done many times before.

_What am I thinking?_ Sakura laughed as she crumpled up the note. If he were able to walk (and he should be– two weeks resting in the hospital was not very debilitating to a person in Kakashi's prime physical condition), he would be out the door at the first opportunity. Sakura really had no choice– she'd have to stay. And considering that this procedure was new (to her, anyway), staying was the prudent thing to do. Running away because she was embarrassed to have woken up in his arms was just silly– it was something a teenager might do. The recliner wasn't the worst place to spend the night, especially if she actually reclined it– something she'd neglected to do the other times she'd fallen asleep in it. Perhaps that was an indication of how tired she'd been these past two weeks. It was good that this was finally coming to an end.

Sakura went to the door, unlocked it and opened it. The hall was quiet, she noticed, hearing only the soft tones of pages and the hum of machinery, and it was brightly lit, as usual. Her homemade sign was still in place. She pulled it from the door, absentmindedly folded it into a small square, then closed the door until it was just ajar.

Sakura did not relish another night sleeping in her medic's uniform. Unlike a _jounin's_ uniform, it certainly wasn't built for comfort– the shirt was cut to be close-fitting, and she found that it twisted and bound up as she moved in her sleep, and the waist band of the short, matching skirt dug into her. She had an oversized t-shirt and knit shorts in her pack– those two items alone would be much more comfortable. She'd packed in hope of a run this afternoon, but the time spent with Tsunade had precluded that. The woman had eaten up a good two hours with her talk about changes to staffing and the need to recruit more students to the health professions. And that was before Sakura had launched into her update on Kakashi and her revised hypotheses about the cause of his condition.

She turned to Kakashi and quickly assessed the man propped up in bed. He was still sleeping. His breathing was regular, body relaxed. Too tired to make the short trip to the bathroom, Sakura turned her back to the door, in case of an unexpected visitor, and quickly slipped out of her medic uniform, then bent over her pack to retrieve her shirt and shorts. She removed her bra and stretched. It was a pointless piece of clothing, for her anyway, yet so confining. The soft jersey of her shirt and shorts felt refreshing against her skin. Sakura grabbed the blanket that lay crumpled at the foot of Kakashi's bed and climbed into the recliner. Hopefully she'd wake each time the nursing staff came in, and take a quick look at Kakashi. They were typically fairly noisy as they went about their business. And if they didn't wake her, well, she guessed that would be okay, too. She was so tired.

Kakashi wasn't sleeping, of course. He'd watched Sakura fall asleep in his arms, and inhaled the fragrance of her newly-washed hair. Her presence was intoxicating. He refrained from kissing the top of her head, but did allow himself the pleasure of gently touching her hair. It was as soft and silken as he'd remembered. After some time contemplating the woman lying half on top of him, Kakashi had carefully moved her so that he could grab a blanket to keep her from getting cold. He'd then rearranged her against him, noting the smile on her face as he did so, and the way she so readily curled up against him. He barely noticed that he'd slid his arm around her until he felt it moving with the steady rhythm of her breath.

There was no doubt in his mind now. He was still in love with her.

_So what are you going to do about it? _

_I don't know._

_Wait another eight years?_

She'd stirred then, and Kakashi lulled his body into the relaxed, even rhythm of someone deeply sleeping. Nonetheless, he was keenly aware of her movements. Through his nearly-closed eye he glimpsed her, and saw the gamut of emotions she ran through in only a few moments time. She felt pleasure, then shock, then embarrassment, mixed with disapproval. She'd been ready to leave, it seemed, even going so far as to write a note. Then she'd laughed, though he couldn't tell if it was directed at her or at him.

Her labile emotions were amusing, but that was only the beginning of the entertainment, it seemed. Kakashi was glad the evening's examination was well over, as Sakura unwittingly made real a fantasy from the night before. These images would be burned permanently into a large chunk of his grey matter, he thought. During his last massage, after catching a teasing glimpse of her brassiere, Kakashi had wondered just what she must look like under her uniform, and had spent several hours imagining the curves, valleys and plains hidden by the utilitarian cloth. Now, as she unknowingly revealed herself to him, his curiosity was almost satisfied. Almost. The profile view of her creamy skin starkly contrasted against plain black bra and matching panties showed him a lot, but now he wondered just how firm her breasts were. Apparently, Kakashi was a very lucky man, or perhaps the gods he never prayed to had perversely chosen to favor him. Again Sakura unwittingly obliged him, giving him an even better view of her perfect breasts, turning slightly toward him as she removed her bra. To make things worse, she languidly stretched first her arms overhead and then arched her neck and back. _Mmm. Beautiful_. _Absolutely gorgeous. _And she didn't even look his way, once she had satisfied herself that he was asleep. That was really quite amusing, as his eye had been wide open by the time she'd removed her shirt. And now, all of him was wide awake.

_What would you give to see that every night? _

_Hmm. Well I could put those jounin techniques to good use and play the peeping tom..._

_What would you give to do more than _see _it?_

_Anything._

He nearly groaned aloud. Kakashi closed his eyes and hoped sleep would take him soon. He wasn't sure that he'd be able to control himself, otherwise.

...o...o...o...o...

"What do you think you're doing?" The sun had not yet risen, and through the twilit room Sakura saw the silhouette of Kakashi rifling though the room's cupboard. Sakura's voice had the irritated quality it typically did in the morning.

"Oh. I thought you were still asleep."

Sakura switched on a lamp. "You know, your gown doesn't leave much to the imagination."

"Well, then, I hope you're enjoying the view." Kakashi did nothing to cover up his hindquarters, and instead continued to look within the cabinets.

"If you're looking for your clothes, they'll be in a plastic bag, hanging from a hook."

"All that's in there is my vest."

"Well, your clothes were blood-soaked -– the staff probably burned them. Hasn't that ever happened to you before? You've been here often enough." Sakura was irritated. She knew he had a tendency to sneak out of hospitals, but she'd hoped he'd treat this situation differently, considering their past friendship.

Kakashi returned to his bed, and sat at the foot of it, eyeing Sakura silently.

"You're not leaving here until I have a chance to do a full neurological exam." Sakura moved to his side and grabbed his arm, frowning at the bloodied mess she saw at his wrist. She removed gauze and bandages from the cabinet and returned to his side. "I would have been happy to remove the IV for you, and could have called in a nurse to take care of your catheter." She blushed despite herself. She had inserted and removed catheters on countless occasions– why was even the mention of doing so embarrassing her? "Kakashi," she said, more abruptly than she intended, "do you like causing yourself pain?"

"You know how much I hate it here." Kakashi stood as soon as his wrist was wrapped and prowled around the room, like an animal eager to find an overlooked escape route. He stopped at the recliner and flopped into it, sighing.

Sakura passed him the copy of _Icha, Icha Takutikusu _without asking. "A leopard doesn't change his spots, after all," she said to herself.

"I'm having a hard time imagining you purchasing this, Sakura." There was a smile in his eyes.

"I didn't. Read the inscription."

"Ah. That explains things." He opened the book to the place where Sakura had left off, a folded piece of paper falling out as he did so. He opened up the crown Gemna had made for him and looked at Sakura curiously. "Do I want to know?"

She laughed despite the early hour and her irritable mood. "Probably not. You don't remember everything, do you? All the more reason for that exam."

Kakashi sighed. He'd forgotten how stubborn she could be. "Would you do me a favor?"

"Depends."

"Would you stop by my apartment and pick up some clothes?"

"Hmm. Yes. I guess you won't be going anywhere until I get back. Do you still live at the same place?"

Kakashi nodded. "The key is on the lintel. Don't press the front light switch– it's booby trapped."

"Anything else I should know to avoid blowing myself up?"

"I think you'll be okay. You're a _jounin_, after all."

"Notice that he didn't answer the question," Sakura thought to herself. "Same old Kakashi." She pulled on her sandals and grabbed her backpack. "I won't be long-- I need a shower myself. See you in about an hour, okay?"

Kakashi looked up from the page he was examining, a distracted look in his eye. "Mmm."

...o...o...o...o...

Kakashi's apartment was exactly as Sakura had remembered it, apart from the thick layer of dust that coated every surface. Dust motes danced in the shafts of light that entered as Sakura cracked the blinds in the kitchen and living room. He must have been gone for months– that explained why she hadn't seen even a trace of him for ages. Even the furniture was the same as eight years prior. Sakura glanced around the small, efficient apartment that was furnished in stereotypical bachelor fashion. She remembered the comfortable, black leather sofa where she'd sat many times, and the matching black armchair. He still hadn't purchased a coffee table and the end tables were the mismatched pair she remembered. Kakashi hadn't entertained much, eight years ago, and by the looks of things, he still did not. Sakura had only been there four times before today– once to an impromptu dinner with Naruto and Sasuke, and three times to cry on Kakashi's shoulder. The living room made the same impression on her then as it did now. Like the rest of the place, the room was quite masculine and almost colorless. A large flokati rug covered a good portion of the living room floor, and added a badly-needed bit of texture and warmth to the room, but the walls, like those of the rest of the space were basic landlord-issue white. So were the dusty white mini-blinds that were the windows' only decorations. The room was devoid of personality, for the most part. Sakura had no doubt that this was intentional on Kakashi's part. There was no art on the walls, and only a single plant, which was on the verge of death after not being watered for what looked like months.

The only personal items in the room, apart from the plant were the two framed photographs that stood on a table below a window. She had looked at these before, years ago. One was of Team Seven, showing a scowling Sasuke, an irritated Naruto and a smiling Sakura. Kakashi appeared to be smiling as well, if his eye were any indication. The other photo was of a much younger Kakashi and teammates. Kakashi did not appear to be much older than the twelve-year-olds in the Team Seven photo. Sakura noted he was already wearing a mask, despite his young age. Sakura immediately recognized Obito, and it was hard to mistake the fourth Hokage, then known as the Yellow Flash. The girl, she inferred, was Rin, the medic who'd transplanted Obito's eye. There was a parallel between the two portraits. Like Sakura, Rin was smiling, and like Naruto, Obito seemed annoyed. Kakash's expression was hard to read, as only his eyes were visible, but the look in her eyes reminded her of something she'd seen many times in Sasuke's. It was an arrogant, bored look, as though he were tired of kid stuff.

Sakura moved down a short hallway and into the one room she hadn't visited before, the apartment's sole bedroom. There was a little more personality evident here, no doubt because this place was private, and the room seemed a bit warmer as a result. The futon covering the low bed was decorated in a traditional _kasuri _fabric of indigo and white woven into an abstract pattern that looked something like_ manji_ or _shuriken_. A tall black bookcase was completely filled with orange-bound _Icha, Icha_ novels, and close by, near the room's one window, stood a well-worn, yet comfortable-looking navy blue armchair and footstool, as well as a small wood table. A brushed aluminum lamp and a small frame were the table's only furnishings. Sakura picked up the frame and regarded it. She recognized the woman immediately– Kakashi's mother. What had become of her? Hadn't Kakashi, in one of his rare, communicative moods once said that everyone he loved was dead?

Sakura turned to the dresser that dominated the room. Despite its large quantity of surface area, its top was completely devoid of anything except dust. There was absolutely no clutter, but this was in keeping with Kakashi's personality, and that of most _shinobi_. Like other _ninja_, including Sakura, Kakashi thrived on order and precision. Having this personality trait was a near necessity to be able to put up with the demanding, repetitive training and self-control the job required. The only _ninja _Sakura could think of that did not share this trait was Naruto, who was an embodiment of chaos.

Sakura pulled a drawer open and quickly located some boxer briefs and an undershirt, then moved to his closet. It was extremely well organized, filled almost entirely with the plain, knit shirts and pants that comprised his _jounin _wardrobe. There were one extra vest, and two dress uniforms, as well, but almost no civilian wear. The man had no life outside of work, it was obvious. Neatly arranged at the bottom of the closet were several pairs of the open toed sandals favored by _ninja_. A pair of flip flops and a lone pair of dress shoes were the only other footwear. Sakura grabbed a shirt, and a pair of pants and sandals, and headed to the bathroom. She hastily grabbed some toiletries and left the apartment, then hurried to her own home to shower and change.

...o...o...o...o...

She'd taken longer than she'd promised, thought Kakashi, looking at the clock. Apparently he wasn't the only person with a problem with promptness. He closed his uncovered eye as he reflected on the person with whom he'd spent most of past two weeks. Sakura had changed a lot in eight years, that was certain. She was a more prickly now, and a lot more reserved. He had expected some type of conversation between them this morning– perhaps a flustered apology or excuse from Sakura to explain how she'd fallen asleep against him, or maybe even an angry questioning of why he had let her do so. That was part of the reason he'd gotten up so early. He had wanted to avoid a confrontation, but not for his usual reasons. He usually ducked and wove during similar conversations to keep the mask on, to prevent anyone from getting any small clues that might help them better understand him. Now he was afraid that he might say something that would send Sakura running away. He didn't want that, and he needed time to think, to plan the best way to let her know his feelings. Hence the need to get out of the place that was her domain.

"Time for your sponge bath!" Kakashi's eye jolted open. Here was the nurse from yesterday and the day before, accompanied by not one, but two new companions. "What are we doing out of bed? No one mentioned we'd come out of the coma. Well, let's go back to bed, shall we, so we can get started?" Kakashi did not budge. The two companions tittered and whispered behind their upheld hands– he either did or did not meet their expectations in a big way. This was annoying.

"I think I can handle washing up myself."

The nurse flushed. "No, no, you're on my chart for today, and I'm not allowed to deviate–"

"Tanaka, that's enough. Proceed with your other duties." Sakura's voice was crisp and authoritative as she strolled into the room. Kakashi nearly laughed aloud at the cowed look in the eyes of the nurse and her companions.

"The humiliations never end, do they?" said Sakura once the trio had left. "I can see why you're so eager to get out of here. There really is no privacy." She looked away for a moment, and seemed about to say something. Kakashi guessed she was on the verge of apologizing again for viewing his memories. He hoped she wouldn't. It wasn't time for that conversation yet. Thankfully, she changed the subject. "Here's your stuff. I brought you some shampoo and some other things I thought you might need. If you feel up to taking a shower, I can have an orderly assist you. Of course, any one of those nurses would be happy to help..." She couldn't help smiling at the brief look of panic in Kakashi's eye. She only glimpsed it for a moment, though.

"You're assigned to me, aren't you, Sakura?"

She smiled wryly. "You're my entire workload at the moment."

"So, then, you'll be in the room. I'll let you know if I need help." He picked up the bag containing his belongings and headed for the bathroom.

"Don't forget these!" Sakura threw two towels at him, which he caught without even looking around. "Reaction time is about normal," Sakura noted to herself with a smile.

"Ah, much better," said Kakashi as he exited the bathroom, towel draped over his head. "I really needed a shave. Thanks for thinking of that." He was almost completely dressed in his uniform, Sakura noted, apart from his feet, which were still bare.

"Can't find my _hitae-ate_," he continued, rubbing the terrycloth through his hair.

"Oh, so _that's _how you style it. I guessed you didn't use a brush," Sakura giggled. "Your _hitae-ate_ is in the nightstand drawer. But don't put it on yet. I'll need to examine your eye."

Kakashi grunted his assent. It was obvious that he was anxious to leave. "The exam really won't take that long. Are you ready to get started? First, stand up straight, and extend your arms level with your shoulder." Kakashi complied. "Close your eyes, and slowly touch your left index finger to your nose."

"Wouldn't it be easier if I showed you some _taijutsu_? I'm not drunk, you know. Do I count backwards from 100 next?"

"I know this is unusual for you, Kakashi, but you're not in a position of power here. _I_ am. And I _do_ know what I'm doing. So do what I ask, when I ask it, and you'll get out of here a lot sooner." Her tone of voice was surprisingly similar to what she'd used with the sponge-wielding nurse a scant half hour earlier.

Kakashi sighed, but put up no more resistance. An hour later, Sakura had the information she needed. "You're free to go. Tsunade will want you to check in with her, but wait until tomorrow. I'll need to write up my findings for her first. If I had to guess, I'd say that she's unlikely to assign you to active duty for a while. Because the procedure was experimental, we'll need to keep an eye on you. I'll stop by your place in the morning to see how you're doing." Sakura packed her backpack with the scrolls, textbook, recorder and notebook, then picked up Kakashi's bulging file. "I'm really glad that this worked, Kakashi," she said before she exited the room.

"Me, too," said Kakashi, but Sakura was already gone.


	14. Miso Soup and Company

_Disclaimer: Naruto and associated characters are property of Masashi Kishimoto. They are not my property!_

**Fourteen Dates **

**Chapter 13–Miso Soup and Company**

_a/n Absolutely no perverted fantasies in this chapter, but plenty of Kakashi nonetheless. Thanks to everyone who has been reviewing. I hope to reply to each of you after the holidays, when things settle down. Hopefully, I'll be able to write and post a couple more chapters in the next week._

Vacation. A forced vacation, courtesy of Tsunade. Sakura had been informed of this upon delivering the report on Kakashi's condition to her _sensei_, and every excuse she could think of to avoid the next three weeks off had been shot down summarily. True, the hospital was short handed, but they'd made do without her for the past two weeks as she focused her energies on Kakashi, so they'd have no problem continuing without her for the next few weeks. Tsunade had been adamant, and Sakura knew better than to continue arguing her case.

She would make the best of the situation, she'd decided. Sakura had arisen early, intent on focusing her energies on her training, and had completed a 10 km run by 8 a.m, despite the fact that the weather was miserable again. This was to be expected in April, but it was getting a little old. Hopefully May would be much more springlike.

Sakura had returned to her apartment muddy and sodden, begun running a bath, and had decided that a bit of cooking would improve her spirits. She couldn't help but think of her mother as she washed the rice and placed it in the cooker. During Sakura's Sasuke-crazy phase, cooking was something she and her mother had done together. Sakura agreed that there was nothing like a home-cooked meal, not only because it tasted better than take-out or convenience food, but also because of the feeling of accomplishment it produced. Her mother had been an fine cook and had presented Sakura with a binder full of recipes on Sakura's sixteenth birthday, shortly before the fire that had taken her life. Sakura paged through this cookbook now, and located the recipe for _miso _soup. She'd stopped by the market to get the three ingredients she was missing: winter squash (there was little else to choose from at this time of year), a pork filet and of course, red _miso _paste. Everything else she needed was in dried form, and already in her pantry.

She assembled the ingredients now, placing several pieces of _konbu _into a pan and adding water. Before it came to a boil, she fished around in the liquid to remove the kelp, as her mother had always said that boiling it would make the resulting stock bitter. She then measured and added the smoked fish flakes that would lend their distinctive flavor to the _ichiban dashi _she was making. As soon as the bonito flakes settled into the near-boiling broth, she removed the pan from the heat and strained it. She set the broth aside to cool. She'd use this delicate stock for the dinner she'd planned for tonight, _shabu-shabu_. _Miso _soup required stronger stuff. She took the strained flakes and kelp and placed them in a second pan, added water and turned up the heat. She allowed it to simmer while she checked her bath, then removed it from the stove to allow the _niban dashi_ to steep.

Sakura returned to the bathroom and took a quick shower before entering the bathtub. Maybe she'd spend each morning of this vacation in the tub. At the moment it felt like a very good idea. She'd overdone it a bit this morning. Ten kilometers was a bit much for someone who had been lax about training lately. The heat of the water felt quite soothing against her muscles and Sakura sighed gratefully as the water warmed her, replacing the chill that had crept into her during the run. Sakura had bought a few essential oils for herself when she'd gone shopping for fragrances that might stimulate Kakashi. She'd poured rose and lavender oils into the bath before entering the water. The combination was both relaxing and almost intoxicating, she found. Both fragrances were strong and complex alone. Together they were a delightful, heady combination.

Sakura was just falling asleep when she heard a knock at her door. After a moment's hesitation, she decided to ignore it. It was only about 8:30 and she was on vacation, after all. Whomever it was would certainly return if it was important. Five minutes passed and the person returned, knocking more forcefully now. Sakura sunk lower into her bath, determined not to allow the small intrusion to ruin her relaxation. She closed her eyes again, and smiled, stretching out to more fully enjoy the pleasure the bath afforded. Ten minutes later, things were still quiet. Whoever it was had gone away.

Suddenly, Sakura realized that she had been mistaken. She felt a slight, cool breeze on her face and opened her eyes to see that the bathroom door was opening. She immediately panicked and froze. There was nothing she could use as a weapon here in the bathroom. A moment later she saw Kakashi staring at her, a look of shock on his face.

"I didn't realize you were home." He turned away as Sakura quickly sat up, pulling her knees to her chest. She fleetingly wished she'd been taking a bubble bath.

"Where do you keep your towels? Ah." He grabbed the one she'd set next to the bath and ran it through his hair.

"That's mine! Get out of here!" Sakura was flushed from head to toe, helpless to move as she now had nothing to cover herself with. She hadn't thought to bring her robe with her. After all, she'd been alone. "There are more towels in the hall closet. The least you could do is get me one. Then leave."

She heard the sounds of doors opening and closing, then rummaging. The bathroom door opened slightly as Kakashi tossed in two towels. Sakura drained the tub, quickly dried herself, wrapping one towel around her torso and the other around her head. She cautiously opened the door and looked into the hall. Mercifully, he wasn't there. Hopefully, he'd left. She hurried down the hall to her bedroom, dressed and combed out her hair.

What the hell had he been doing in her house? She was still livid, she found, as she stomped down the hall and passed through the living room to the kitchen.

"Nice place." She almost hadn't noticed him. He was sitting at the far end of the spacious living room's cranberry-colored sectional couch, partly in shadow.

"I told you to leave."

"Oh. I thought you meant the bathroom." He made no move to exit.

"Why are you here? Why in hell did you break into my house?"

Kakashi shrugged. "You promised me you'd stop by for a quick check up. I got tired of waiting."

"Kakashi, its only–" she checked a clock, "eight fifty! Most people consider that pretty early. I wasn't planning on stopping by until ten at the earliest. And I was even going to bring you breakfast." After stopping by his place and realizing how long he'd been away, Sakura had thought it unlikely that he would have anything to eat, and even more unlikely, given his laziness, that he'd stop by a store on his way home from the hospital. He could forget breakfast, now, however. How dare he come into her place without asking? "So, answer me! Why did you break into my house? How do you even know where I live?"

"_Shinobi._" He pointed to his covered nose. But was that an answer to the first or second question?

"You're irritating."

"It was pouring outside."

"The walkway outside is covered, _baka._"

"I got tired of waiting there, so I went around back. Nice roof garden."

Sakura shared the top floor of the building with one other apartment dweller, a wealthy old man whose hobby was container gardening. The flat roof their apartments looked out on had been converted over time into a lush hidden garden. Mr. Takabishi was kind enough to let Sakura use the space, too, but not overly intrusive. He left her alone when she spent time out there, allowing it to serve as a sanctuary.

"It's not my garden. It's my neighbor's. You might know him. He used to own the bookstore."

"Mr. Takabishi?" Sakura guessed that Kakashi was smiling. "He shares my interest in literature, you know."

"Well he _should _be interested in literature, considering his occupation. Oh." She belatedly grasped his meaning, and colored. She crossed her arms across her chest and frowned at him.

"Well, let me check you over." The sooner she was finished, the sooner he'd be gone.

She moved closer to him, and switched on the lamp next to him. "Have you felt anything unusual since you've been home? Dizziness, vertigo, nausea?"

Kakashi shook his head. "The door was open, you know. The door to the garden."

"It was?"

"Anyone could have come in, Sakura. You need to be a little more prudent."

Sakura chose to ignore him. "Could you remove your _hitae-ate_?"

Kakashi complied. "I really didn't know you were home."

"How did you even know this is my home? You've never been here."

"That's a stupid question, Sakura. How do you think I found out?"

"_Shinobi._ Ha, ha."

"You smell nice."

Sakura looked at him strangely. She hadn't been expecting that particular comment. She decided to ignore it, and placed her hand over his _Sharingan_. She felt Obito's chakra, stronger than it had been before.

"Have you seen Tsunade yet?"

"_Ee_. At seven. _She _rises with the birds apparently." Kakashi winked at her.

Sakura smirked. "She probably never made it to bed, more like it. So what did she decide? Are you back on active duty?" She moved her hand to his chest and allowed a small amount of _chakra _to enter his body. His _chakra _was at normal, baseline levels. Apparently he was fine.

"No. Not even C- or D-class missions. She wants me available so that you can monitor my progress." Kakashi sighed.

"How long?"

"Three weeks."

"Me, too." She hadn't meant to say that. It was really none of his business.

"Really? You're on vacation? I didn't think you ever left that place." He stood by the front door, his hand on the knob.

"It was an order. I have no choice." She turned and walked toward the kitchen. "You're fine. I'll check in on you in two or three days. Don't do anything stupid between now and then."

"Don't worry about that. Everyone else is away on missions. It's going to be a long, boring three weeks."

Sakura grabbed the pan of _niban-dashi_ and after straining it to remove the solids, replaced the liquid in the pan, and brought it back up to a simmer. She quickly chopped the squash, then sliced the pork filet into thin pieces and added them to the dashi. While they cooked, she grated ginger, then squeezed out its juices into a small bowl and added the liquid to the pan.

She heard Kakashi's voice behind her. "So, what's for breakfast?" Apparently, she should have made sure he'd left.

"_Miso _soup."

"My favorite." Kakashi pulled out a chair from the kitchen table, and sat facing Sakura.

She turned her back to him and continued preparing her breakfast, ladling a small amount of liquid into a bowl, and stirring in _miso _paste. "You and about 3/4 of Konoha, Kakashi. But, interestingly, they're all eating at their _own _houses."

"Technically, I'm still an invalid, Sakura."

Sakura looked at him and sighed. The man was so stubborn. "Fine. Stay. Are you feeling well enough to help me set the table?"

Kakashi laughed, and opened cabinets until he found the one containing _donburi _and more shallow soup bowls. "I take it there's rice?"

Sakura laughed. "There's _umeboshi_ in the refrigerator, too. Could you set that out, as well?

"No saury?"

"Not today. Sorry!" She smiled a fake, bright smile at him as she placed soup and a bowl of rice before him, then poured tea. She then turned away from him, to eat her meal at the counter.

"Sakura. Join me."

She turned around and saw that Kakashi had removed his mask. A look of confusion passed across her face.

"If you're going to cook me breakfast, the least I can do is eat it with you."

He was the image of his father, handsome, beautiful actually, although in an angular, masculine way. He had a strong jaw, and straight thin nose that ended in a bit of a point. He had pronounced cheekbones and a gorgeous smile, accentuated by dimples when he smiled.

"Tanaka and the other nurses don't know what they're missing."

Kakashi quirked the eyebrow that was visible. "Oh?" Interestingly, she wasn't blushing, he noticed. And she found him attractive. This was a good sign.

"So is that why you wear the mask?"

Kakashi snorted as he tried not to laugh. "No. It's just an added benefit."

Sakura's eyes narrowed as she remembered a pertinent piece of information. "You know, I cooked dinner for you almost eleven years ago. Remember? When you invited Team Seven over for a home-cooked meal, and then had _us _cook it? And by "us," I mean "me." Why didn't you show us your face then?"

"Because it would have ruined the game the three of you had been playing."

Kakashi lifted the bowl of rice to his chin and tucked into his breakfast. They sat in comfortable silence for a while.

"Would you like seconds?" Kakashi had lifted his soup bowl to his mouth and had quickly drained it. He nodded in response to her question, and she rose to refill his bowl.

"This is a beautiful place. Not at all what I expected."

Sakura turned to him, ladle in hand. "You didn't expect my place would be beautiful. Anything else you'd like to add?"

"No, that's not what I meant. I didn't expect it would be so..." Kakashi frowned. "It looks like it's out of a magazine. I was expecting something frilly and ... pink."

It was Sakura's turn to snort. "I didn't know you read that type of magazine. You know, it's funny how much first impressions matter. I'm not that twelve-year old you're thinking of. That was half my life ago." She paused to pick up the last piece of pork remaining in her bowl. "If you'd met me a year earlier, you would have had a totally different impression of me."

"And what would that have been?"

"Well, I was a tomboy until just before I turned twelve. Always dirty, always trying to keep up with the boys, always into something. It drove my mother crazy. She had wanted a frilly little girl to dress up and have tea parties with. Then, just before I turned twelve I discovered Sasuke." She rolled her eyes. "Actually Ino and I both did, and we tried to outdo each other. I tried whatever I could to get him to notice me. But you remember all that. It probably drove you crazy. I'm sure I didn't seem like a serious student."

Kakashi chuckled.

"My mother was beside herself with joy to see me acting like a boy-crazy preteen, and we redecorated my room– in pink– and did all sorts of mother-daughter stuff. She even bought us a few matching outfits. I refused to wear those. When I got my own apartment, I took those pink bedspread, curtains-- everything with me, even though by that time I was pretty much through with the boy-crazy, frilly pink phase."

She was right, Kakashi thought. By the time she was sixteen, Sakura was no longer the boy-crazy student she had once been. The girl he'd comforted had been much more mature, much more subdued than the twelve-year old he'd first met. Kakashi looked around the kitchen and into what was visible of the living room. Not a single pink item was visible. The apartment was decorated in shades of pewter and charcoal, with bold touches of cranberry red, and dark, wenge-stained furniture. The space was crisply tailored, elegant and sleek. It suited the person she'd become, he realized.

"So how did you end up here?"

"Well, after my parents died and their estate was settled, I thought about moving back home. But it was... The house was full of memories, and it was difficult to spend time there. As soon as I came of age I sold it. This place was a good investment, even though it's obviously too big for me."

"I like your taste."

Sakura rose from the table and carried her bowls to the sink. "I'm not used to you complimenting me, Kakashi. I can count on one hand the number of times you complimented me as a student."

"Didn't want to play favorites." He stood and helped bus the table. "I'll take care of these." He turned on the tap and filled the basin.

"I'll dry."

"Suit yourself. " They stood side by side, washing and drying the breakfast dishes, until Kakashi broke the silence. "You're a very good cook, you know."

"Not as good as my mom. That was her recipe. I'm glad she had a chance to teach me before she died."

"You miss her."

"Yes. And I'm sorry I wasn't able to be the daughter she wanted."

"You are who you are, Sakura. There's no need to apologize."

"Hmm." There wasn't much to wash up or dry, and as Sakura put away the last plate she turned to the copy-ninja. "Kakashi. Why did you show me your face? Why are you still showing me it?"

Kakashi turned to her, and looked at her for a moment. Then he said quietly, "Because I trust you."

Sakura was puzzled. "You trust Naruto and Sasuke, don't you?"

"With my life, yes. Absolutely. That's not what I mean, Sakura. You had the opportunity to take advantage of the situation I was in, and you didn't. You even kept others from doing so." Sakura looked at him curiously. "By the way, those nurses are definitely afraid of you." Kakashi paused for a moment, collecting his thoughts, wondering if he should continue. He decided to take the plunge. "Sakura, at this point, after what happened in the hospital, you know me better than anyone. And I'm okay with that."

"Oh." Sakura did not know what to say. Kakashi normally did not have much to say, but today he was positively loquacious. She'd barely begun to digest what he'd said. He trusted her? She knew him better than anyone?

Kakashi pulled the plug from the basin, and wiped his hands on the dishcloth Sakura handed him. "Thanks for breakfast. Sorry for scaring you, earlier." He turned and headed for the front door.

"Kakashi–"

He turned to look at her.

"Since no one else is around– I mean I know I'm not at your level, but if you need someone to train with..."

Kakashi grinned at her before replacing his mask and opening the door. "It's a date then. Tomorrow, 7 a.m. Don't be late."


	15. First Date part one

_Disclaimer: Naruto and associated characters are property of Masashi Kishimoto. They are not my property!_

**Fourteen Dates **

**Chapter 15– First Date (part one)**

It was 5:15 and the sun was about to rise as Kakashi left his apartment, stomach growling. He should have thought to stop by the grocery store the morning before, but due to the forgetfulness induced by a full stomach, it just hadn't happened. He'd gotten take-out that evening, and hadn't opened the refrigerator since he'd been home, which might have reminded him that there was almost nothing still edible remaining in his house. Kakashi sighed. Even convenience stores were closed at this time of day, and most restaurants didn't open until six at the earliest. One of his personal favorites for sustenance, the rice ball stand, didn't open until even later. A couple of _onigiri _would be welcome right now, perhaps a _tori-gomuku_ or _negimiso_. He'd even settle for plain old _kombu_, though it wouldn't provide much protein.

Kakashi walked on, toward the training grounds just outside the village, past the heavy wooden gates emblazoned with the word 'retreat'. He loved the early morning. There was something very peaceful about waking up in time to hear the birds perform their morning overture, and at this time of year the birds were extremely vocal. Kakashi walked down still-shadowed streets to the outskirts of town, across the arched red bridge that spanned a small tributary of the Hi river, and into the training fields adjacent. His destination was his usual one at this time of day– the pale granite memorial stone that held the names of his comrades.

He knelt before the stone and bowed deeply, then rose to trace the names of his fallen friends. Seventh row down, fifth name over. Obito. Eighth row, first name. Rin. There were others as well, people he'd had the honor of working with over a career spanning four decades. Asuma's was the newest name on the memorial, the deep engraving of the kanji still a fresh wound in the stone.

Kakashi was lucky to have lived so long. This near-daily ritual was an acknowledgment of that. But luck was either blind or spiteful. There was no reason he was the one who'd been singled out for longevity. He considered the fact that he was no more talented than either of the two teammates who'd been taken so young. Obito had been only thirteen when he'd died, and as an Uchiha, he'd had a bright future ahead of him, aided by the tremendous powers of the Sharingan. His talent had still been raw at the time of his death. He'd cried a lot, early on in their acquaintance, and had seemed to Kakashi to be weak and soft, his traits a polar opposite to all that defined their profession. But Obito had shown otherwise before his death, demonstrating to Kakashi the true value of teamwork, and its priority over following protocol. Obito had not hesitated to sacrifice his own life to save his teammate, even though that teammate had constantly criticized and rebuked him. He'd then passed along his body's rare gift, without hesitation. Obito had shown by his actions that teamwork was the ultimate reason for being a _shinobi_, and Kakashi had learned this lesson with a concomitant increase in humility. The reason to be a _shinobi _was to protect the larger team– the Konohagure community. It was simple, but the prodigy Kakashi had completely missed this lesson until it was acted out for him in blood. By protecting the team, and acting without ego, it was more likely that the mission would succeed. Following the many rules of _shinobi _conduct while losing sight of what was underneath these rules was pointless. Doing so made a mockery of their only reason for existence.

Rin had been only slightly older when she'd died. She, too, had prodigious talent, as a healer. Her talent was far less raw than Obito's: she had demonstrated aptitude in this area at a very young age, and surely would have rose to prominence in the medical community. Another life wasted, and further occasion for guilt. After the epiphany prompted by Obito's final actions, Kakashi had done his best to ignore the very obvious fact that Rin was interested in him. He was well aware of the fact that Obito had been in love with her, and Kakashi didn't even allow himself to consider whether he might be able to return Rin's feelings. Then she died, and Kakashi found that he was filled with the regret at the fact that he'd foregone the opportunity he'd had to bring her some joy, and that in doing so, he'd ended their comfortable, real friendship.

Yes, Kakashi thought, he'd shown talent, too, but no more than that shown by his friends. He'd been labeled a prodigy, but much of his early success had been due to prodigious drive, strenuous discipline and absolute determination. He was not unlike Naruto in that regard. And like both Naruto and Sasuke, he'd been alone for much of his childhood. Few _shinobi _had the distinction of two parent suicides. After his father had committed _seppuku_, Kakashi's mother had begged her son to leave the path he'd chosen. He was still young– there were many things he could do with his life. Being a _shinobi _would only lead to death, sooner, rather than later. She couldn't take losing her only son in addition to her husband. Kakashi had refused to even consider his mother's plea. His ambition, at the tender age of 7, was to become _jounin _as quickly as possible. He was already one of the youngest _chunin _Konoha had ever created.

His mother couldn't understand this choice. She was a civilian. She hadn't been raised among ninja, and her only link to the culture had been her husband. She was an outsider two-fold, shunned by the family and friends she'd given up to marry Sakumo, and shunned by the _shinobi _community due to her husband's disgrace, which had not been fully mitigated by his final act of honor. She couldn't understand how important it was for Kakashi to be a ninja. She couldn't understand how important it was for him to live with honor as a servant to Konoha. And to die with honor. But once she realized that she could not change his mind, Kakashi's mother promised she would support him, and that she would try her hardest to understand.

Still, he heard her crying at night. Perhaps it was for his father, perhaps it was for Kakashi, or even for both of them. But there was nothing he could do. At the age of seven years, when many children still played with stuffed animals and had make-believe friends, Kakashi had become too old to go into his mother's room and curl up at her side. Even if he'd done so, Kakashi had no idea of anything he could say that would comfort her. Her husband _was _gone. Her son _was _risking his life daily. There was no comfort in the truth. He doubted there was any comfort in his presence.

At age eight, Kakashi had come home from a month-long mission to find his home empty. It had the unmistakable feel of a residence that had not been lived in for a week or two– stale air, bone-dry sinks, the thinnest veneer of dust. He'd stepped outside to feel the eyes of neighbors peering at him from behind half-shuttered windows and bamboo blinds. They'd been waiting for him to come home, waiting with the conflicted feelings of people who know they are about to witness a very unpleasant and personal scene– a scene that will be spoken of for weeks to come, in hushed yet eager tones, a scene that will bring with it a guilty thrill in its recounting.

Kakashi denied the villagers the opportunity to bear witness to such a display, instead walking straight up to the closest neighbor's house and asking in a steady, passionless voice where his mother might be found. This wasn't the first time he'd worn a mask. He'd learned to school his expressions in the difficult year since his father's death. He'd seen how easily the villagers' comments had gotten to his mother. Her demeanor was completely open– she had always worn her happiness or hurt for all to see, and did not know how to do otherwise. Somehow, the openness of her responses to others' queries only increased the quantity directed at her, and worsened their quality. Her pain on display was like a small amount of blood to a shiver of sharks– one taste and they wanted more, lost all sense of decorum.

A mask, Kakashi realized, was the best way to avoid their stares. Plenty of ninjas wore masks on assignment– they were readily available from the quartermaster. He obtained his first on his way back from making the arrangements for his mother's funeral, and donned it immediately. Thirty-one years later, he felt naked without it.

Kakashi stood and inspected the area around the memorial stone. Pale granite rocks were embedded around it in a semi-regular pattern, and four lamps, one at each corner of its base, burned day and night. It was long past prime for the daffodils he had planted years before in honor of Rin, but he saw the tips of leaves, and green-yellow buds of the May-blooming tulips just now pushing themselves into the loamy soil at the perimeter of the memorial area. It was her favorite color, if not her favorite flowers– he'd never taken the time to learn what they were. Obito probably would have appreciated the flowers, too, he thought with a smile. He was so soft-hearted.

The call of a blue-and-white flycatcher roused Kakashi from his reverie. What time was it? He checked the watch he'd made a point of wearing today. He had amassed quite a collection over time, as gift-givers seemed to think a chronograph of some type was an amusing, original birthday gift. The watch he wore today had come from the Snow Country, which was known for its superior technology. This watch, he had read, was guaranteed against breakage. He was willing to bet they hadn't used ninja in their testing.

_What?_ Was it five past seven already?

Sakura stood on the arched, red bridge, fuming. Kakashi had acted so strangely the day before. She should have known he would stand her up. She idly wondered if his behavior had been due to lingering effects of his coma, but quickly dispelled the thought. He had been perfectly fine when she examined him. His behavior had been nothing more than that of the lazy _sensei _she'd known for so long, hungry for a decent meal, and willing to throw her a bone (his unmasked face, that is) in return for the time she'd spent bringing him back to health. So why was she so angry?

It made sense, really, that he hadn't shown up today. Even though he'd indicated it was okay that she'd seen some of his deepest memories, it couldn't be okay. Not for someone as private as he. Kakashi had been polite, nothing more. Polite in his admonition to her not to apologize, polite in his acceptance of her invitation. And cowardly, in his refusal to show up today, as cowardly as he'd been years before.

Sakura shrugged and walked off the bridge, feeling strangely let down. She shouldn't be feeling this way– not for something that really hadn't been anything. Their friendship had ended years ago. Or more precisely, it had atrophied until nothing was left. Sakura moved slowly, eyes downcast, contemplating how she'd spend her now unscheduled day, not paying attention to the road in front of her, or noticing the figure who suddenly appeared in her path.

"Don't leave." She plowed right into him, and was assaulted by the warmth emanating from him, and the arresting smell of vetiver.

"You're late."

"Only six minutes. I even wore a watch– see?" he said, half laughing, as he pulled back his glove to show her. .

"You're insulting." She took a step backwards and attempted to walk past him, and was surprised to feel a strong hand pull her back.

"Is this some power thing for you, Kakashi– always being late? Does it make you feel more important to keep others waiting for you? Are you so much of an egomaniac that you have to make a dramatic entrance everywhere you go, without so much as an apology?"

"I'm sorry."

Sakura blinked. "I don't think I've ever heard you say those words before."

"Come with me. Please." She followed, wordlessly, as he made his way back to the training field, past the three tree stumps she remembered from years ago, and to the memorial stone.

"This is why I was late, Sakura. I didn't mean to be disrespectful– not to you. I'll admit, in the past, being late has been rather amusing– although the reason for it has always been the same. But I was actually planning on being on time today. Early, even."

"Old habits die hard, I guess." Her voice softened. "Do you come here every day?"

"Every day that I'm in Konoha. I meditate otherwise."

"I guess that explains why you'd disappear every morning when we were on missions. Hmm." Her anger had dissipated. "Well, are you ready to train?" Sakura began to walk toward the training field.

"Err." Kakashi scratched the very base of his head, where the knot of his _hitae-ate_ touched his scalp.

_Was he cringing?_ Sakura wondered.

"The thing is, I didn't go shopping yesterday, and no place was open when I left this morning. Would you mind getting a bite to eat with me, first?"

Sakura shoved her pack at him. "Here. I packed lunch. Go nuts."

She sat down under the dappled shade of a sycamore and Kakashi followed suit, quickly pulling out two multilayered _bento _boxes. He untied the _furoshiki _covering the first box, slipping chopsticks from under the knot as he did so, lay the _sashik_o-quilted cloth flat on the ground, then set the opened box upon it. "_Onigiri_? You must be a mind reader. I had a terrible craving for them earlier this morning." He opened the second portion of the _bento _container and smiled. "And _tamagoyaki _and asparagus? Wonderful." He picked up an _onigiri _that had been rolled in _furokake _and ate it greedily. "Did you fix these?"

Sakura nodded. "My mother always said there was nothing more important a woman could do than make a proper _bento_." She smiled at Kakashi, who was now devouring the third _onigiri_, then rolled her eyes. "I take it you agree. Maybe I missed my true calling."

Kakashi started on the rolled omelet, focused on his work. "You really are a good cook, Sakura," he mumbled through a food-filled mouth.

"You know, I'd almost rather you were wearing your mask." That wasn't true, though. His face was still so new to her, and it was amusing to see how animated it could be, despite the view of partially chewed food. From the look of absolute pleasure on his face, it was certain that Kakashi had a definite appreciation for a well-prepared meal. "I hadn't realized you were an epicure, Kakashi."

Now finished with the _tamagoyaki_, Kakashi took a long swig of green tea from the vacuum flask Sakura had set nest to him. He then picked up a spear of asparagus, and paused to dip it into the small container of _shoyu _that he'd opened. "Considering that our typical mission meal is cup ramen, there's really no way you could have known that, Sakura. I'm not Naruto, after all." He broke off the tip of the spear, and slowed down his chewing a bit, to better savor the flavor of the late spring vegetable. "But you know, I did once tell you that I had plenty of hobbies." He grinned at he remembered his first day with team seven.

"You also had us train on empty stomachs. I probably should have done the same for you, today." Sakura smiled at him dangerously.

Kakashi pulled the box a little closer as he continued eating, and didn't look up until the last of the asparagus had found its way into his mouth.

"Go ahead. Eat the rest," said Sakura pushing the second laquered box toward him. Kakashi had been eyeing it, and Sakura was too amused to refuse. "You have quite an appetite."

"Consider what I've been eating– or more precisely, _not _eating, for the past two weeks."

"Lunch is on you, by the way." Sakura said, standing. She walked off into the woods surrounding the training field, eager to stretch her legs. She was joined by her _sensei _in a shorter time than she'd predicted.

"Mmm," he said, stretching his arms over his head. "I think I need a nap."

"You're kidding, right?"

"Yes, I'm kidding. That was actually a compliment, Sakura." He had replaced on his face. "Ready when you are."

"I thought we'd run– maybe five kilometers or so, then spar– no _Sharingan_, though."

"Fair enough. But no use of freakish, insane strength either."

Sakura ignored him as she stretched one leg, then the other against the nearest tree, moving her head to her knee as she did so.

_Stop it. _She was in no mood, he knew, to catch him leering at her. He dropped to the ground to stretch out his own legs. His calves were somewhat tight, despite the physical therapy he'd received while unconscious. For good measure, he threw in fifty push ups. They really wouldn't do anything to prevent injury while running, but it was the first thing he could think of to keep from looking at her.

"Let's go, Kakashi." Sakura was off like a shot, and he scrambled to pursue her.

_This is nice_, Kakashi thought. He'd never run with Sakura before. As the _sensei _to team seven, his interpretation of the job had been that he would give the orders, and participate in as little strenuous work as possible, apart from one-on-one sparring. It drove them crazy, true, but that was a perk of the job, one of many that made it so rewarding.

Today though, he was glad to be by Sakura's side. It felt right. Her company, her friendship, her temper– everything felt comfortable. And the day was only just starting.


	16. First Date part two

_Disclaimer: Naruto and associated characters are property of Masashi Kishimoto. They are not my property!_

**Fourteen Dates **

**Chapter 16– First Date (part two)**

"Hold still!" Sakura scolded Kakashi as she tried to clean out the rather large gash he'd sustained during their sparring. It hadn't been caused by a _kunai _or _shuriken_. Rather, as Kakashi had fallen against a damaged tree limb, the splintered wood had ripped through his pants and into the flesh of his calf.

"The water's freezing cold, Sakura. Can't you just heal it as is?" He squirmed as she picked fragments out of the wound with the tweezer she kept in her first aid kit.

"Are you _five, _Kakashi?" Sakura folded another piece of gauze and knelt to dip it into the fast-moving stream that ran along the training grounds, and used it to gently remove the fragments of wood and dirt that had lodged in the cut. The water was clean, as it flowed from an unpolluted mountain source, and was upstream of Konoha. "How many wounds have you gotten in the line of duty, Kakashi? A couple hundred? Did you fidget for each and every one of them?"

Kakashi gave Sakura a dirty look, not unlike that a five-year old might give his bossy, overbearing older sister. Of course, all that was visible to Sakura were his eye and brow, but, knowing this, Kakashi managed to pack a lot of meaning into his glare. Her characterization _had _been dead-on, of course, but why was she acting so irritable? It was in his nature to complain about medical treatment– she was well aware of this.

Kakashi tried to think of what he might have done to set her off. They'd had a really nice run, he thought, though he had found it necessary to run at her side, not in her wake. On the occasions that he had lagged behind, the view had been rather distracting, causing him to trip more than once. Plus, at her side, they could talk, which was quite pleasurable. Sakura had claimed more than once to be out of shape, but the pace they ran at didn't wind her, and she could speak quite easily. She had a lot to say, and Kakashi was happy to listen. She wasn't full of idle chatter as she had been years ago. She had well-informed views on a variety of subjects, and her analytical mind made the questions she asked insightful and to the point. Again Kakashi found himself regretting staying away from her for so long.

The sparring had been worthwhile, as well. Sakura had learned a great deal since the days of Team Seven and Team Kakashi. Tsunade had taught her well, and far more than medical techniques. Sakura had become a confident _shinobi _under Tsunade's tutelage. She definitely had earned her _jounin _status– there weren't too many tactics he'd tried today that she hadn't anticipated. Kakashi did out-maneuver her, though, surprising her as she held a _kunai _to the throat of a shadow clone, which, because it was bleeding, held her attention for a bit too long. That he'd overcome her couldn't be the reason for her mood, however. It was only natural that Kakashi win their mock battle. He had many more years of experience to draw on, after all. Sakura had never been a sore loser, either. It had to be something else.

Sakura laid her right hand against the leg she'd pulled into her lap as she turned again to the now cleaned-out cut, and began to apply healing chakra to knit the tissue of the muscle and skin back together. It was a slow process, as the wound was not a clean cut, but quite ragged. Kakashi enjoyed the warmth of Sakura's _chakra _as it entered his body and mingled with his own. Healing in this manner was such an intimate experience– and therefore one of the many things he disliked about medical treatment. But with Sakura it was a bit different. This intimacy was soothing. Kakashi noticed Sakura was frowning as she worked, eyes closed, intent on mending his wound seamlessly. She had not lost her perfectionism, it seemed. But given her tendency to do things textbook-perfect, the method of delivery she was using at the moment seemed a bit strange. She was using her right hand to deliver _chakra _to a rather inaccessible part of his left leg. As Sakura was sitting facing him, her left hand would have the better access and allow her more control, something that was important any time _chakra _was used, but even more so when using _chakra _to heal. Come to think of it, she really wasn't moving her left arm much at all. Had she dislocated it during their sparring?

"All done." Sakura removed his leg from her lap and stood, still keeping her arm to the side, but gesturing with its lower portion and hand. Not dislocated, then. She smiled brightly at her former _sensei_, with the too cheery, unmistakably artificial smile he'd noticed before. "I believe you owe me lunch, Kakashi. I'm starving. Could you pick something up and bring it back here?"

"Ramen?"

Sakura nodded in agreement. "_Shoyu_, please. Now get going, I'm dying of hunger!"

"If you're that hungry, why don't you come with me?"

"I want to do some stretches."

"Suit yourself. I won't be long, though. Ayame always lets me jump to the head of the line." He winked. "See what happens when I let a girl see my face?"

Sakura snorted. "Do you want to make a bet?" she asked.

He looked at her blankly.

"I know something you don't. You'll be at least an hour. Gee, I wish I'd brought something to read." Her smile was teasing, but Kakashi could see the stress in her eyes.

Kakashi withdrew his copy of _Icha, Icha Takutikusu _from his pouch and handed it to her. "I'll be back before you finish the next chapter," he said before walking off.

Kakashi stopped at the edge of the training field, and quietly retraced his steps through the wooded area that bordered the stream. She _must _be injured. But why was she hiding it?

_Because she's like me. Stoic to a flaw, completely unwilling to let others see her weaknesses._

Sakura came into view, her back facing him, and Kakashi saw the tension ripple through her as she gingerly lifted her arms to remove her black knit shirt. It was clearly very difficult for her to move her left arm. Next, she slowly began to unwrap the bindings that covered her chest. They'd been cut through, and peeled off in short, blood-soaked strips. Apparently, she'd been slashed pretty deeply. Sakura leaned over the stream to wet her shirt, then gently wiped the wound, shivering involuntarily as she did so, and swearing under her breath. As Kakashi approached, he saw sinuous ribbons of blood diffusing from her shirt into the swirling waters of the stream. Sakura continued wiping the blood from the wound with her makeshift towel. The blood on her side had begun to congeal in places, but pulling off her bindings had caused some areas to bleed anew. She didn't hear Kakashi approach, and jumped when he spoke.

"Why don't you let me help you with that?"

"Kakashi! Why are you here? _Go away_!" She hastily pulled the ice-cold, sodden shirt against her front as she turned to face him, eyes wide. "Why do you keep popping up when I'm undressed?"

"You know, Sakura, I've seen breasts before."

"You haven't seen _these_, Kakashi. Now, go."

_Actually, I have. Twice, in fact. And they were magnificent._

"Sakura, who's being childish now?" Kakashi's voice was gentle. The wound, he saw, was about 15 centimeters long, starting at her side, and curving around to her back. "I really don't see how you're going to tend to that yourself. You'd need three hands, and you won't even be able to see most of it."

Sakura glowered at him. "I can manage. This is my job, you know."

"If you were in the field and needed help with a female patient, would you hesitate to ask me for help?" She ignored him. "How is this any different? You were the one who said that there's no privacy in medical situations. Remember?" She nodded, and looked away.

"Sakura, it's obvious you need help. If not me, then we'll need to take you to the hospital."

"Fine. Help me." It had dawned on her that she'd much rather have a friend helping to mend her than one of the medics who were so intimidated by her. Kakashi smiled as she relented. He reached for her arm, and gently lifted it up, to reveal the deep, gaping wound underneath. It was deep, and serious. He couldn't see her ribs, but if the blade had penetrated mere millimeters further, he would have been able to do so.

"Have you finished cleaning it out?"

She shook her head.

Kakashi knelt behind her, pulling her pack towards him. He proceeded to rummage through it, and pulled out the small first-aid kit she'd used on him only minutes earlier. It contained very few useful materials.

"Where's the gauze?"

"I used it all on you."

"Oh. That's why you were using the shirt."

"I can see why you're a legend among _shinobi_. Those deductive skills are extraordinary. Sherlock."

Kakashi sighed. So sharp-tongued. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you would use the last of your gauze on a relatively minor wound and spend a half hour exhausting your chakra to boot. Some things never change, Sakura." He held out his hand in front of her. "Well, give it to me." She ignored him, and continued to clutch the shirt to her front.

"Fine." He quickly pulled off his vest and removed his own shirt. "See? I don't mind if you see my chest."

Sakura laughed despite her embarrassment. "You're a funny guy, Kakashi. And you're kneeling _behind _me. I can't see your chest."

"And I can't see yours, either. Lean on your right elbow, so your torso is at an angle." He wrung out his shirt over her side to allow the dripping water to wash away the blood and the short fibers of cloth that still clung to the wound. He touched his hand to her hip as he worked, and was surprised when it came away red. She'd worn black sweats, which had prevented him from getting an idea of her true condition. "Sakura, how much blood have you lost?"

"It's not as bad as it seems. You'd be surprised how much area a pint of blood can cover."

He looked at her in alarm. "I'm taking you to the hospital."

"No!" The word came out forcefully. "You said you'd help me take care of it right here. Honestly, it's not that bad." She looked at him pleadingly.

Kakashi shrugged. "So, what's next?"

"I won't be able to heal it until I can keep it from gaping open. The tissues won't find each other unless it's closed. Are there any butterfly bandages in the first aid kit?"

"No. There's really not much here, not even tape. No offense, Sakura, but you'd think a medic's personal first aid kit would be better equipped."

"There's some saying about the cobbler's children having no shoes, isn't there? Besides, my medic's vest has all the stuff I'd need. But, of course, I didn't wear it today. Well, if you could just kind of push the wound closed– but try to keep your fingers away from the wound itself. I'll need to apply _chakra _there."

Sakura held her arm out from her body as Kakashi gently pressed her flesh into place. She sucked in her breath at the pain, but quickly got to work applying her own _chakra _to the site.

"So when did this happen, Sakura?"

"When I was sparring with a friend."

"Oh." He signed. "Could you be a little more explicit?"

"I wasn't fast enough with the _kawarimi _technique when you threw those _shuriken_. The first one hit me before the _jutsu _completed."

"Sakura, that was about ten minutes into things. Why didn't you stop?"

"Would you have stopped if it were you?"

Kakashi didn't answer. She had him, there.

"Slide your hand back," she directed. The first portion of the wound had been mended. "I'm working blind now. If it's okay with you, I'd like to use your hands as a landmark. I'll have to run my _chakra _through them."

"No problem." Kakashi moved his hands to her back and pushed her flesh back together. This was a somewhat easier task, now that the wound was smaller. Sakura's right hand covered his, and as she began to apply _chakra_, Kakashi started. The amount of _chakra _she was using was astonishing. He felt his fingers tingle with pain. She was even more stoic then he'd given her credit for. She hadn't winced once during the sparring session or after.

Sakura sighed and visibly relaxed as she moved her hand away from his. "That feels so much better." She moved upright, causing Kakashi's hands to slide along her flesh as she did so.

_Her skin is like silk._

"So, what about lunch?" She kept her back to him as she began to uncrumple her still- sodden shirt, intending to wear it.

"Don't. It's still too cold outside for you to be wearing something wet, especially cotton. You should know it has no insulating value. You'd be better off shirtless."

"I am not walking into town topless, Kakashi."

He silently handed her his vest. "This will do while I'm gone. I'll be right back with something for you to wear."

Not ten minutes later, Kakashi returned. He'd put on a fresh shirt, and had brought one of his others, along with clean sweatpants for Sakura to wear. His clothes would be outsized on her, but they were warm, and they'd do until she returned home. He handed the items to her, then walked some distance away to allow her to change. She stripped down completely–even her panties were blood soaked. She knelt by the stream and used her wet jersey shirt to scrub off the dried blood that stained her legs, then gratefully climbed into the clothes Kakashi had provided. She had to roll the sleeves and legs several times to approximate a decent fit, but luckily, the pants had a drawstring, which she cinched as tightly as possible. She stowed her stained clothes into the bag as Kakashi swung her backpack over his shoulder.

"So where's my lunch?"

Kakashi scratched the back of his head, slightly embarrassed, as they began walking away from the stream. "You wouldn't believe the line."

"Yes, I would. Ichiraku is always busy at lunchtime. Sometimes there's an hour wait for a stool. But that shouldn't have mattered. You said Ayame always let you go to the head of the line. Not able to resist your terrible good looks, I think you said." She smirked.

"That's _not _what I said. Unfortunately, Ayame wasn't there– her brother, Seiji, is filling in for her. Apparently, Ayame is on a trip with Iruka."

Sakura giggled. "You didn't know they were together, did you, handsome?"

Kakashi ignored her teasing. "It gets worse. Before I took on Team Seven, I put a bunch of candidate teams through the bell test. Every team failed before you guys came along."

"So?"

"Seiji was on one of those teams. Apparently, he still nurses a grudge against me. He went ape-shit when he saw me– he's been working at the coast and hadn't seen me in years. I'd have thought he would have been over it by now. His father took my order, though, so it should be ready when we get there."

"You can go in," Kakashi said as they approached the ramen shop.

"Coward."

"No, I just know how to pick my battles."

Sakura went into to the _ryouriya_, where Ayame's dad promptly handed her two take-out cartons. "He didn't pay for this, did he?" A curt nod was her response. She sighed as she counted out cash for the meal.

Kakashi looked at her appraisingly as she left the shop. She was definitely steamed about footing the cost of lunch, but she deserved it after her smart-ass comment about his looks. But she also looked tired, he noticed as she stumbled a bit.

"My place is closer. Let's eat there." She didn't disagree, and didn't object when he took her arm in his.

Sakura was quiet during lunch, and didn't finish her ramen. Kakashi moved her bowl away just before she slumped into the table. He gently picked her up and carried her to his bed. She was already so deeply asleep that she didn't notice.

Sakura awoke hours later in a room she didn't recognize at first. Late afternoon sunlight was filtering in through the slats of the room's wooden blinds. The warm golden rays touching her face had awoken her. She sat up, squinting in the light, and looked around, then sank back into the warm, comfortable bed. This was Kakashi's room, she realized. How had she gotten here? Where was he? She looked around the room again, and spotted the copy of _Icha, Icha Takutikusu _he had given her to read earlier that day. It was lying face down on the blue chair that sat by the room's only window. A ceramic mug stood on the table next to the chair. Sakura noted that a coaster had been placed under the mug. Sakura smiled. Sasuke and Naruto had always laughed at her insistence on the use of coasters, but Kakashi apparently felt the same way she did.

Sakura climbed out of bed, and pulled back the thick _kakebuton _that served as the bed's sole blanket. She straightened the sheets, and was about to replace the _kakebuton _when she noticed the underside of its cover. Like the front side, this side of the _futonji _was indigo-dyed by traditional methods, but this fabric appeared to be much older than the _kasuri _fabric used for the front side. There were a few small patches on the cloth, which had been resist-dyed freehand using a technique called _tsutsugaki _to create a large white crest which covered a large portion of its area. Sakura pulled back the _futonji_ further and examined the _ka-mon_. It was pentagonal in shape: five identical, stylized birds, wings spread and bills pointing to the center, formed the five sections of the pentagon. The negative space between the birds somewhat resembled _kunai_. The birds, Sakura realized, were plovers, _chidori_. Sakura wondered if this _ka-mon _was from his mother's or father's family. Regardless, it was appropriate.

"You slept for five hours, Sakura-_chan_. Hungry?"

Sakura turned to see Kakashi leaning against the doorway, hands in pockets. There was a slight smile on his face, which was still uncovered. "You snore, you know."

Sakura blushed, as Kakashi winked, then reddened further as he handed her a bundle of clothes. "You didn t have to–"

"I m very good at removing bloodstains," Kakashi interrupted, dryly. "Of course, I have lots of experience at it. I thought it was the least I could do after injuring you." He turned and exited the room, closing the door as he did so. "Nice panties, by the way."

Sakura stood alone in the bedroom, willing the blush to leave her skin. So he had seen her panties. Big deal. She held up the undergarment. She probably shouldn t have worn such lacy, skimpy ones today. Plain cotton would have been a lot more appropriate (and comfortable) for the no-holds barred training they'd done. Kakashi had probably thought she was a flighty, shallow clotheshorse when he'd seen them. Of course, a flighty, shallow clotheshorse, Ino, had convinced her to buy them. She'd only worn them today because she'd needed to do laundry and they were the only clean pair left. Sakura sighed, then hastily dressed and headed to the kitchen, where she found Kakashi.

"Thanks for your help earlier, and for letting me use your bed and for the laundry. And everything, really."

"I'm sure you'd do the same. Actually, I know you'd do the same. You don't need to thank me." Kakashi turned back to the counter, where he was cutting a chunk of half-frozen meat into very thin slices.

"Well, I ll see you around, I guess."

"Sit."

Sakura, too surprised to do otherwise, took a seat at the small table in the dining area adjacent to the cramped kitchen.

Kakashi turned, knife in hand. "You barely ate any lunch. I'm not letting you leave here until I get some food in you. Plus, I've gone to a lot of effort, and I don t want it to go to waste."

"I'll stay. And not just because you're holding a weapon. You don't have to command me, Kakashi."

"Your behavior earlier today suggests otherwise. You lost a lot of blood today, Sakura. The laundry water was bright red, worse than I've ever seen with my own clothes. I'm not going to let you act foolishly now, just because I embarrassed you a few minutes ago." He turned back to the chopping board. "By the way, I was joking about the snoring."

But not about the panties, apparently. Although he did almost apologize. Almost. "Do you need any help?"

"No, everything s under control." He carried a large electric griddle to the table and plugged it in, then turned the dial to its highest setting. "We re having _teppan-yaki_."

Kakashi set out small bowls of condiments, and larger plates containing the meat and vegetables they'd be cooking at the table. A large bowl held partially prepared _yakisoba_, ready to fry on the griddle.

"I haven't had this for quite a while. In fact, I think I've never had it outside of a restaurant."

"It's one of my specialties."

"So you're not only a _gourmand_, but also a _gourmet_? I guess you weren't lying when you said you had many hobbies."

"I never lie, Sakura."

She snorted at this blatant untruth.

Kakashi picked up some thinly sliced beef with _saibashi _and placed it on the _teppan_, where it promptly began to sizzle. He added the _yakisoba _to the other side, and stirred it with another chopstick, then added shreds of cabbage and carrots, shiitake mushrooms and chunks of half-cooked potato in the remaining spaces.

"Aren't you supposed to be throwing knives and slicing vegetables in mid-air?"

Kakashi laughed. "Hmm. We both know very well that I could, considering my expertise with _kunai_, but I though we'd be just a little more casual tonight. Want a beer?"

"Sure." Kakashi pulled two beers from the kitchen's small refrigerator, and two chilled glasses from its even smaller freezer.

"Wow. You went all out."

"I always keep glasses in the freezer. Small luxuries, you know?" He poured her beer and she his, and they toasted. She took a sip of hers and set it aside. She was sure she'd become drunk easily, given her blood loss.

"Help yourself," Kakashi said, as he began to remove cooked items from the _teppan_, and replace them with others.

Sakura dipped a thin slice of rare beef into a bowl of _shoyu _and savored the contrasting flavors of saltiness and caramelized protein. "This is wonderful." She piled some _yakisoba_ onto her plate, along with a bit of cabbage, carrot and potato. She ignored the mushrooms. "So what did you do today?"

"While you were sleeping? Shopping, cleaning, laundry. Manly stuff." _Watching you as you slept, but there's no need to mention that._

"I don't think anyone would question your manliness." Sakura blushed despite herself. She never blushed anymore. What was wrong with her? "It's– it's good that you're comfortable with that side of yourself."

They were both silent for a while as they enjoyed the dinner, then Sakura spoke again.

"I feel sorry for Hinata. It's going to be hard to break Naruto of his slovenly habits."

"I didn't know Naruto and Hinata were together."

"Well, not yet. But as soon as he returns..."

"I take it you had a hand in this?"

"I clued him in a bit, and helped him write her a letter. You should have seen what he'd written himself. I wish I'd kept it. It would be fun to read to them at their wedding."

"You've already married them off, then?" Kakashi laughed. "I never thought of Naruto as the type."

"Would you like to make another wager? It was stupid of me not to set any stakes for our last bet."

"I do enough wagering with Gai. And I should note, I always win."

"Not according to him. He says the record is at 120 to 119, in his favor."

"Well, he _would _say that."

"So you don't want to bet against me? Hmm. I guess you're afraid of losing."

"It depends on the stakes, Sakura-_chan_. If they're good enough, I'm in."

"Loser does one task– any task– of the winner's choosing."

"Sounds good."

"Let's make it a two-part bet. Each part stands alone. Part one: Naruto and Hinata will be seen passionately kissing within one week of his return."

"Contingent on there being absolutely no interference from you or your friends."

"Or from you and yours, for that matter." Kakashi nodded. "Part two: Naruto and Hinata will be married within six months of his return."

"You must be confident. That's not a long time." Kakashi smiled wickedly. "I accept. And I already know exactly which tasks you'll be doing for me."

Sakura finished the last of her beer, and stood to get a glass of water.

"I'm cutting you off, by the way."

"What?!" Sakura was incredulous, and the good, comfortable mood she'd felt since awakening evaporated instantly. "You are so controlling! I wasn't planning on drinking more than one." She threw down her napkin and stood. "Thanks for dinner, Kakashi." She turned to leave, but was pulled back. She struggled for a moment, then gave up. She knew she wouldn't win.

"Sit, Sakura."

"What am I, one of your dogs? Don't you dare tell me to sit like that!"

"Please, Sakura." She sat reluctantly. "I didn't mean to be so abrupt. _Moushiwake arimasen._" He bowed slightly. "The truth is, you scared me earlier, and I'm feeling a little overprotective. I didn't realize exactly how hurt you were, and..." He was quiet for a moment, as he struggled to find the words that would convey his meaning, yet not offend. He slipped into teacher mode, doing his best to keep his voice passionless. "Sakura, it's your job as a team member to be completely honest with your teammates. You know this– it's one of the most important rules– to protect the team, and to allow the team to protect you. And even though we're not officially teammates anymore, when we spar, we _are _partners. You should have told me you were hurt."

"Would _you _have told _me_?"

The next words slipped out unbidden. There was a hint of anger in his voice. "You acted foolishly, Sakura, irresponsibly. You're a medic, Sakura, but that doesn't make you invincible."

That wasn't the best choice of words, Kakashi noted as he saw Sakura grow rigid with anger. No, not anger. She was furious.

"You _wouldn't _have told me, Kakashi, if the roles had been reversed. Why can't you admit it? So, it's okay for you to act foolishly, but not me? Explain how that can be if we're really teammates or partners or whatever." There was a green fire in her eyes as she spoke, and Kakashi hesitated. "I'm waiting, Hatake."

_Because your life is more important than mine, Sakura. I'm in love with you. I'd kill myself if something happened to you, and I'd do anything to protect you._

"Sakura. I–"

"Yes?"

"It's different."

"How?"

"I can't explain."

"Because it's _not _different." She pulled out of his grasp and headed for the door. "I don't need to be protected, Kakashi. Not by you or by anyone else."

"Sakura–"

She didn't slam the door, just closed it firmly behind her. Kakashi didn't follow. What could he say? He knew she wasn't ready yet to hear how he felt. He'd talk to her tomorrow. He'd need the night to figure out a way to explain away the obvious double standard he held regarding her safety.


	17. Mitigation

_Disclaimer: Naruto and associated characters are property of Masashi Kishimoto. They are not my property!_

**Fourteen Dates **

**Chapter 17– Mitigation**

**_PLEASE READ--_ _Warning_: **This chapter is rated M for mature fantasies involving... foreplay and sex! And, uh, masturbation. It is super smutty– but it is Kakashi's fantasies we're talking about here, so that shouldn't be much of a surprise. If you don't want to read about Kakashi's perverted dreams, _please _don't-- the next chapter will be relatively clean, and you can pick up the story from there. _You have been warned_!

_He looked up from the chair where he sat reading to see that she had entered the room. She stood quietly, arms crossed to cover her breasts, naked except for a pair of white lace panties. He stood and approached her, but she did not move. Rather, she tilted her head and looked at him curiously._

"_What are you doing in my bedroom?" she asked softly. He didn't feel the need to reply. Instead, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her firmly. She gasped in shock but didn't pull away. After a moment, she returned the kiss, opening her mouth to let their contact deepen, and encircling him with her arms. After a few long moments, he broke the kiss, and noticed the pout on her lips and the reproach in her eyes. _

"_Don't worry, Sakura. I'm only just starting." He let his unmasked lips travel to her jaw and along the nape of her neck, and found himself even more aroused by the shudders his touch sent though her. He trailed the very tip of his tongue along her silken skin, now eliciting deep moans of pleasure as he paid tribute to each landmark along his path. Her breasts were enticing, firm globes that reacted immediately to the lightest touch. The curve of her waist was sensual and sensitive._

_He knelt before her and gently placed pressure on her inner thigh, causing her to move her legs apart. He inhaled her fragrance, and used his teeth to move aside the small strip of fabric covering the place he planned to honor next. Damn fabric. He reached to his own thigh, and pulled a _kunai _from its holster. In two quick moves he released the fabric at her hips, and it fell gently to the floor. Just as quickly, he returned to his target and allowed his tongue to move gently between her folds._ _He felt her hands in his hair, clenching and unclenching._

"_You're wet."_

"_I– I just took a bath."_

_Kakashi chuckled and probed deeper with his tongue, caressing her until he found the location he sought. Her reaction was sudden and violent. Her grasp tightened in his hair as her body spasmed repeatedly. She was amazingly responsive to his touch._

_He stood and quickly disrobed, then pushed her against the dresser._

"_Say that you want me," he growled in her ear._

"_I want you, Kakashi." Her voice was a whisper._

"_Louder."_

"_I want you, Kakashi!"_

_He lifted her by her hips and pressed her against the dresser as he ensheathed himself in her. She gasped in surprise as he did so, then moaned as he slowly moved her up and down along his length. With every stroke she struggled to press closer against him, to take more of him into herself. _

"_Please, Kakashi. I need--"_

"_I know exactly what you need, Sakura. Isn't that fairly obvious?"_

_She cried out in pleasure as he pressed downward on her hips, pushing himself deeper into her. She moved her body closer to him, wrapping her arms and legs tightly around him, as he carried them slowly to her bed, and gently lowered them onto it. He supported himself on one forearm, and moved his other hand between her legs. She was swollen with desire and even slicker than before. He caressed her firmly and felt her breath quicken, her legs involuntarily clench and unclench his hips._

"_Will you come for me, Sakura?"_

_She nodded._

"_Say it."_

"_I'll come for you."_

"_Kakashi."_

"_I'll come for you, Kakashi."_

"_Come for me, Sakura. Now." _

_She did. _

"_Again, Sakura."_

_She did._

"_C–Come for me, Kakashi."_

"_Not yet. I'm not finished with you. Once more, Sakura."_

_She moaned in frustration. "Come for me, Kakashi! Please! I–" She climaxed explosively, and so did he._

...o...o...o...

It was the panties that did it, Kakashi realized with a groan. They weren't the most revealing ones he'd ever seen– apparently Sakura did not go in for thong-cut styles. These were boy-cut, but he'd had no trouble imagining how they'd sit low on her hips and flare out slightly over the top curve of her derriere. From the look of them, they wouldn't cover her completely, but leave her firm, lower half a bit exposed. They were lacy– completely unsuitable for a day of sparring, he thought. But still, he appreciated them, and the thought of her wearing such a garment as she practiced with him. Sakura was feminine, very feminine under the tough exterior she showed to the world. Feminine, even as she held a _kunai _to his throat or kicked him with devastating force. In fact, her strength and her willingness to use it made her even more womanly in his eyes, almost dangerously so.

Yes, it was the panties, he thought, as he untangled himself from the bed sheets that were wrapped around him like a restraint. His _kakebuton _had ended up on the floor sometime during the night, but he hadn't felt the cold. Kakashi pulled the sweaty, soiled sheets off his bed and carried them to the washer. He hadn't dreamed like that in years– not since he was sixteen and had realized he could dream lucidly, and thereby control what occurred in his dreams. Certainly he allowed himself fantasies– waking fantasies, that is– and even allowed his body to act on these fantasies. This was no problem– in fact, he rather liked the total control it afforded him. But he didn't allow himself to fantasize while he slept. Who knew what his subconscious might cook up?

It was six a.m., which meant he'd gotten all of three hours of sleep. This probably explained why he'd been unable to control his dream– he was too tired. He'd stayed up, trying to think of an adequate explanation for his protectiveness of Sakura– one that would placate her, but not scare her. He had no doubt she was unready to learn of his feelings for her. He was planning to take it very slowly. She had devoted two weeks to him, as he lay comatose. During that time, he'd come to the realization that he couldn't run from her anymore. He'd therefore given himself a total of two weeks in which to bring her to the same realization. Not fourteen days back to back– she'd surely find that to be too intense, though it might have been something she would have tried herself years ago with Sasuke. No, he wasn't going to stalk her as though she were prey. He planned to take her on fourteen separate dates– fourteen occasions to slowly reveal himself to her, fourteen chances to nurture and develop any latent feelings she might have for him.

Of course, he'd ruined date one. If only he could have controlled himself. She was right, after all. It was completely unfair for him to expect her to behave differently than he did. It was natural, though, that he'd feel this way, given that he was in love with her. Who wouldn't want to protect the person they loved above all others? But, he realized, he wanted her to love him in just this same way– and in that case, the playing field would be leveled again. They'd each want to keep the other from harm. They were _shinobi_– death was an integral part of their job description. They couldn't protect or restrain each other against the inevitable. He owed her a huge apology, one with no excuses or half-true explanations. She was right, that was all.

...o...o...o...

Sakura hurried to the door, _hitae-ate_ in hand. Whoever was rapping quite loudly was apparently also quite impatient. There'd been three rapid-fire bursts of knocking in the time it had taken her to get to the door. She opened the door to see her former _sensei_, hands behind his back. He never knocked with such urgency. Maybe he'd had too much coffee this morning.

"What do you want?" She crossed her arms in front of her chest, immediately reminding Kakashi of that morning's fantasy. He shook his head to dispel the image and fixed a cheery smile upon his mask-clad face.

"_Ohayou_ to you as well, Sakura. Beautiful weather isn't it?" To her frustration, he moved past her, into her apartment's small foyer, and sat down on a low bench to remove his regulation sandals.

"This is for you," he said, handing her a small, potted cactus. He hadn't been able to resist. She had something in common with the plant: a prickly, formidable exterior, yet for those who were undeterred, occasional, breathtaking displays of beauty. He was a patient man, and quite willing to wait.

"Kakashi, I don't have time for fun and games," she said, scowling at the plant. "Tell me what you want, and then get out."

"I want to talk with you about last night, Sakura."

"Kakashi, I don't have time right now. There's a lot I'd like to say to you, but I'm late. I was supposed to meet Hinata ten minutes ago, and unlike some people, I don't like to keep my friends waiting."

"I don't mind waiting for you." He moved into the living room and sprawled across the large sectional sofa that dominated the room.

"Get up. You can wait out there." She walked toward the french-doors that led to the roof-top garden and placed her hand on the lock. Kakashi saw a brief look of concern pass across her face. "I know I locked this," she muttered under her breath, but not softly enough to miss being heard by the copy-nin.

"I won't be back anytime soon." She pulled him up off the couch and fairly pushed him out the door.

"No matter. I brought something to read." He smiled sunnily at her, crinkling his visible eye as he did so.

She closed her eyes in an effort to quell her anger, then locked the door, grabbed her backpack and hurried on her way.

This was the perfect place to relax, Kakashi thought, looking up from his book. He stood, stretching his legs, and strolled around the rooftop garden, admiring the bonsai that occupied one "room" of the space, and the large collections of flowering plants that overflowed large pots scattered throughout another area. He recognized most of these plants, having an interest in horticulture himself. What he wouldn't give to have a space like this in which to garden. Of course, it would be a pointless endeavor. He was gone so often that any garden he tended would ultimately suffer the same fate as the bedraggled philodendron that sat on his living room windowsill. It hung tenuously to life, resuscitated between missions, only to wilt and wither when Kakashi inevitably left again. Sakura was lucky to be able to experience the fruits of her neighbor's labor. Mr. Takabishi, she'd said he was. Kakashi moved closer to the man's apartment, and was about to rap on the window to introduce himself and apologize for his presence in the garden, when he saw something that was quite upsetting.

Mr. Takabishi was sitting with his back to the window of what was obviously his office, a space that was extremely well-equipped with computers. There were more high-tech gadgets than Kakashi had ever seen in one place in the technology-impoverished Fire Country. In fact, he didn't recognize many of them. The man must have done well for himself to be able to afford such expensive toys. From his movements, it was clear that the old man was in a state of partial undress, gazing at a video clip while simultaneously... But that wasn't the upsetting part. Disturbingly, the video appeared to be of Sakura. Kakashi quickly moved out of what would be the man's line of sight, were he to suddenly turn around (although that, Kakashi knew, was highly unlikely given that the man was extremely occupied at the moment), and looked again at the monitor. It was easy to confirm that indeed the woman in the video was Sakura– how many pink-haired women were there in Konoha? Sakura was the only one he knew of. It was also clear that Sakura was completely unaware that she was being filmed. She was standing in a bathroom (presumably her own) resting her leg on the bathtub as she toweled off. The screen split to show her from several angles. Apparently Mr. Takabishi had expended quite a lot of effort in outfitting her apartment to supply the best view possible. Kakashi seethed as he silently moved to the french doors that led into Mr. Takabishi's living room, then crept into his office, pausing only to locate and uncoil a roll of strong, flexible wire, and to grab a single _kunai _from his leg holster.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" Kakashi asked quietly, as he stood only centimeters behind the man. He was instantly rewarded by the sight of the man jumping out of his chair.

"W-who are you? What are you doing in my house?" The man stammered as he zipped up his pants.

"Sakura is a friend of mine. I'm almost positive she didn't give you permission to tape her. She didn't, did she?"

The man nodded, then quickly shook his head. Kakashi grabbed him and held the _kunai_ to his throat.

"You must be very stupid to even consider invading the privacy of a _shinobi_. Either one of us could kill you in a blink of an eye. I can think of ten ways, off the top of my head, that wouldn't even leave a trace. Your family would think you'd died of natural causes. Of course, your pants would be around your ankles. That might be a little embarrassing, don't you think?" The deadly calm of Kakashi's voice caused the former bookseller to shiver.

"Wait. I can explain. Please–"

Kakashi pushed the man into the chair and used the wire he held to tightly bind the man's wrists behind the chair's back. "I'm listening," he growled as he tightened the restraint.

"She's always so friendly to me. Her smile makes me so happy. But then she disappears for weeks on end. And I miss her."

Kakashi's visible eye narrowed at this pathetically lame explanation. "You miss her. So you film her naked so that you'll have a memento for the times that she's away. I see. So, do you spy on her in person, when she's home?" The old man squirmed under Kakashi's furious gaze.

"Aren't you– don't I know you? Wait." A glimmer of recognition shone in Mr. Takabishi's eyes. "You used to visit my bookstore every week. You're that _Icha, Icha_ fan. Ha. You're just as bad as I am." The man laughed for just a moment, then cowered as he realized the extreme foolishness of his words.

"You think so?" Even through the mask, the former bookstore owner could tell Kakashi was smiling dangerously. His eyes glinted as he spoke. "Most people would say there is a big, big difference between reading X-rated romance novels– which are fiction, by the way-- and masturbating to illegally filmed video of a real, live person who happens to live next door to you. But you know what? Let's see what Sakura thinks. You know, I think she's pretty open-minded. She actually read some _Icha, Icha _to me." Kakashi smiled at the memory. "When I was sick, she thought it might help speed my recovery. She's nice that way. A really considerate, caring person. Perhaps she won't mind that you've been, uh, pleasuring yourself at her expense."

"You aren't going to kill me?" Relief dripped from the bound man's voice.

"I'd love to. And I think you know that no harm would come to me if I chose to do so." Kakashi sighed. "But that will be Sakura's decision, not mine."

The man smirked at these words, actually smirked. Kakashi suddenly had a glimpse of insight into what it must be like to be Haruno Sakura– constantly underestimated on the basis of her sex. Or simply dismissed. It would feel so good, Kakashi thought, to take the man out right now. He wanted badly to do so, and Sakura need never know. He could destroy the evidence and search her apartment for cameras, microphones, and anything else her neighbor had installed. It would hurt her so much to find out about this. But he restrained himself– it was clear to him, now, how Sakura would react if he _did_ take matters into his own hands. And she would find out. She was after all, the most intelligent jounin in Konoha, apart from Shikamaru.

Instead Kakashi simply said, "Observe." He placed his hand under the heavy oak desk that held a portion of the old man's computer equipment, lifted it to chest height with a single finger, then let it crash back to the floor. The man gasped. It was clear to him that Kakashi could kill him with slightly more effort than it would take to crush a cockroach underfoot.

"I'll bet you didn't know this, but Sakura easily has ten times my strength." The man's eye's widened at Kakashi's words. "But I'll bet you _did _know that she has a very short temper. I'm guessing these walls are pretty thin. Oh, and you've got her on tape. Forgot about that for a minute." Kakashi grinned as the man telegraphed his newfound fear.

Kakashi knew very little about computers. There were several at the academy for instructor use, but as he'd never actually taught within the walls of that building, he'd never used those machines, and the ones at headquarters were assigned to _shinobi _on desk duty. He did know, however, what a hard drive was, and he used his _kunai_ to pry each out of the computers in the room, then checked the back of each machine for portable memory devices. "Evidence," he said, with a smile in his voice. "Although I'm sure you won't be able to free yourself before Sakura gets back. Sit tight," Kakashi said, as he opened the window to exit. "You may be here for a while."

Kakashi strode back across the rooftop garden and effortlessly opened the doors leading to Sakura's living room. He deposited the drives on the square, dark coffee table, and headed to the kitchen. Hopefully, Sakura had beer, or better still, something stronger. He definitely needed a drink, despite the fact that it was only nine a.m.

...o...o...o...

Sakura smiled. It was eleven a.m., which made it exactly three hours since Kakashi had showed up at her door. As a student, she'd waited much longer for him on occasion, but today, three hours seemed long enough. He'd probably left by now. She'd put the time away from home to good use. She'd promised Hinata a run, and then they'd sparred, and she'd owed the still-unnamed baby Uchiha and her glowing parents a visit. There had been plenty to fill the past three hours.

As she entered her apartment pulled off her medic vest (she'd remembered to wear it today, not that she needed it– the injuries Hinata could produce with her _byakugan _were _chakra_-related– they didn't cause wounds, and Sakura's _ninjutsu _far outstripped that of her friend). She desperately needed a shower. Ninja friends and family (even babies and toddlers, it seemed) didn't mind the smell of sweat, but Sakura certainly did. She was about to remove her t-shirt, when she noticed a familiar form sitting on her couch.

"What the hell are you doing here? I told you to wait outside."

"Sakura? Would you sit, please." Kakashi's voice was gentle. "We need to talk." He raised his hand to halt the response he expected from her. "No, not about last night, we can do that later. That's important, but this is even more important."

Sakura saw the seriousness on his unmasked face and sat herself cautiously on the far end of the sectional. It couldn't be Sasuke, she thought. She'd seen him only minutes ago. Had Naruto been hurt? She noticed the several drives littering her coffee table. "What's this?"

"Something that belongs to you. I'll tell you about them in a minute. But first, can you tell me how long you've known Mr. Takabishi? I had a very interesting conversation with him today."

"Kakashi, how is trivia about my neighbor more important than the fact that you don't see me as your equal? Who the hell cares if you had an interesting conversation with him? Oh. I see. You found out something about him, and have decided there's something about him that should eliminate him from the very, very small circle of people allowed to walk within 3 meters of me." She was on a roll, now, as last night's anger reignited itself. "You know, you shouldn't jump to conclusions about people. He's just an old man. And I'm an adult, Kakashi, not the twelve-year-old incompetent who had to be rescued and protected by her teammates. I'm completely capable of deciding whom I should or shouldn't talk to. I thought I made that clear last night. Damn it, Kakashi, I can take care of myself." She jumped to her feet, and walked to the front door. "Leave." She turned away from him, so he couldn't see the tears springing to her eyes. "I am so tired of this," she said softly.

Kakashi ran his hands through his hair. He had known this was going to be difficult. Should he go to her and hug her? Would she slug him? He settled for calling to her quietly. "Sakura, if you could just trust me for just a moment? Please?"

She heard something different in his voice. Sakura turned reluctantly towards him, biting her lip.

"Come. Sit down." Kakashi patted the space next to him.

Sakura perched on the far edge of the couch, crossed her arms across her chest and said, "Talk. I'm listening."

"First of all, Sakura, let me get this out of the way. I owe you an apology for last night– a huge apology. I shouldn't, and won't treat you any differently than I would expect you to treat me. It took me all night to figure it out, but I realized that you were right– completely right. And then I had another reminder of it today."

"You _never _apologize." She looked at him curiously. "_Domo_, Kakashi." She settled into her seat and looked closely at him as he continued.

"So. I was waiting for you outside, as you... _instructed_, and I was going to call on Mr. Takabishi to explain who I was and what I was doing in his garden. I thought it would be the polite thing to do. I didn't want him to have a heart attack if he looked out of his window and saw a ninja strolling through the shrubbery."

Sakura nodded.

"How long has he lived next door to you?"

"Oh, about a year. You'd think much longer, though, from looking at the garden. He seems to spend most of his time there. But Kakashi, why does it matter? How is that sweet old man important?"

"Sakura. I'll be blunt. He's been taping you."

"_What_?"

Kakashi pushed the drives across the table to her. "He must have installed cameras while you were on a mission."

"You looked at these?"

"_No!_ Of course not! I caught a glimpse when I looked through his window, but only enough to confirm that it was you. Sakura, I'd never do that! Do you really think I'm that much of a pervert?"

"Actually, no. I don't think you're a pervert at all. You just have poor taste in reading materials." She laughed weakly, then paled as the enormity of the transgression against her became more real. "So Mr. Takabishi could have been spying on me for the past year? I think I'm going to be sick." She got up and ran to the bathroom, and Kakashi heard the sounds of her retching and running water.

"This is great," she said, returning to the room. "Now I smell like sweat _and_ vomit. A lovely combination, don't you think?" She returned to her seat, and put her head in her hands. "Do you think he put cameras in every room? Would you help me find them?" Her face reddened as she considered the things the man might have witnessed, then she suddenly looked up.

"What did you do to him? I hope you made him suffer."

"Sakura, all I did was tie him up. I thought you would want to take care of the details yourself."

Sakura was silent for a minute, then responded. "Thank you, Kakashi. I do. Would you like to join me?" She gave him an angry smile.

"It would be my pleasure. What are you planning on doing?"

"Not sure yet. I didn't use much _chakra_ training, so I could break every bone in his body and then heal him before handing him over to the police. But to be honest, I don't want to have to touch him in that way. Healing is really intimate, you know?" She shuddered at the thought of her _chakra _touching his, despite the fact that as an untrained civilian, he wouldn't be aware of the contact. "Maybe _genjutsu._ Tsunade taught me a few good ones. Any advice, _sensei_?"

"Nobody would blame you if you killed him, Sakura. And certainly not if you broke his bones and refused to heal him. This won't be handled by the police. If it involves a _shinobi_, it's headquarter's purview."

"I'm not going to kill a civilian, Kakashi. But someone else could heal him." She and her friend headed to the door. "I guess I'll improvise."

...o...o...o...

"I feel so dirty."

"Don't. You had every right to beat him senseless, Sakura."

"Not about that, Kakashi. Hell, I should have healed him and then done it all again. That's not what I feel dirty about." She spoke softly, as the internal affairs team had arrived and was beginning its inspection of her apartment, using neon-colored chalk to circle the location of hidden cameras and mikes. "It's bad enough that he watched the movies. But now internal affairs? He said he'd been taping me for a year. There must be hundreds, or thousands of hours on there." She gestured to the table, which still held the drives."

Kakashi thought for a moment. "All they need to see is one scene, Sakura. Do you have a toolbox?"

She nodded.

"Get it. And an old towel."

She hurried to the kitchen and reached under the sink to pull out a large, slightly dented metal toolbox enameled in bright red paint. She lugged it back to the copy-ninja. "It was my dad's." Kakashi rummaged through the box as Sakura fetched a towel from her linen closet. She watched as Kakashi set aside the first hard drive, then wrapped another in a towel.

"Have at it." He handed a hammer to her, and gestured to the towel-wrapped item.

Sakura slammed into it with just enough force to shatter it to pieces. She didn't bother using _chakra_– it felt more real, more visceral, not to. Kakashi unwrapped the smashed plastic box, and slid the next one over. Sakura made short work of the memory devices, a smile growing on her face as she demolished each one.

"We'll save this last one for them– it was the one Takabishi was using when I stumbled upon him. But I"ll talk to Tsunade, if you like, to make sure they watch it only in your presence, and only for as long as it takes to ascertain what the creep was doing."

"You don't need to do that for me, Kakashi." She was quiet for a moment. " But I would welcome your company, when the I.A. people watch it." She surprised him by hugging him fiercely. "You're a good friend, Kakashi," she sighed, then shuddered as she began to cry.

"You don't have to stay here, Sakura." His voice was soft.

"Where would I go? I'd never bunk at Hinata's. Her father doesn't approve of me. Naruto's not here, and he'd drive me crazy, anyway. And Sasuke and Ino have a brand-new baby. They're definitely not up for guests."

"Stay with me."

"Are you serious? You really wouldn't mind?"

"No. I owe you for my behavior last night. I ruined a perfectly wonderful evening."

"I'm the one who was screaming and yelling."

"True. But still." He smiled at her. She could tell, though his face was masked. "Grab your stuff and let's go. And bring something nice. I'm taking you out for dinner. Anywhere you like."


	18. Tenpura second date

_Disclaimer: Naruto and associated characters are property of Masashi Kishimoto. They are not my property!_

**Fourteen Dates **

_Authors note: No smut in this chapter! I appreciate time people are spending precious time reviewing. My time is fairly limited at the moment, but seeing reviews (especially thoughtful ones) makes me find the time to write, and also prompts me to write longer chapters, which I think people are enjoying. So thanks, and keep it up!_

**Chapter 18– Tenpura (second date)**

The smell of hot oil hit him before they even entered the _tenpura-ya_. There was more than one very nice restaurant in Konoha. Sadly, in Kakashi's estimation, this restaurant, the only _tenpura-ya_ in town, was not one of them. But he'd promised Sakura that she could pick the place where they'd dine, and she was a bit of tempura fanatic, he'd learned. He'd thought the very un-Kakashi-like request that she dress nicely might have hinted (a bit too obviously, he had thought immediately after he blurted out the words) that he'd like to take her someplace special, but apparently, she hadn't clued in. She had dressed beautifully, though, Kakashi noted, taking the opportunity to take a good look at the _kunoichi _walking beside him. She'd chosen a short, pleated black skirt and sheer black hose that showcased her legs to perfection, as well as moderately high-heeled shoes, that added a subtle sway to her walk. A black cashmere sweater with draped neckline cut low enough to give just a hint of the upper swell of her breasts completed her ensemble. The contrast between her porcelain skin and the inky blackness of her sweater was arresting, and he found he couldn't look away from her _decolletage _for long.

_Asking her to dress up was a bad, bad idea_.

_You'd be gaping at her regardless, _baka_. She'd be beautiful in a burlap sack. So when are you going to tell her?_

_I'm hoping I won't have to._

When had he started having conversations with himself? The woman was driving him crazy.

"Kakashi?" Sakura interrupted the copy-_nin_'s reverie. He looked up to see her staring at him concernedly. "Do I have something on my sweater?"

Busted. "Here. I"ll get it." He allowed his hand to brush lightly against her sweater to remove the imaginary speck of dust that had obviously transfixed him. _Nice save, but it probably made things worse, don't you think? _Kakashi's fingertips tingled from the brief moment of contact. Even through the soft sweater he'd felt the warmth radiating from her skin.

They chose an empty table and settled in, as a restaurant of this caliber didn't bother with niceties such as hostesses. It was, after all, just a small step up from a fast-food restaurant. Dinner would be served on pottery plates, not paper, but a film of oil– and in some places, a film of oil, layered with dust-- clung to the table top and chair backs. Still, comfort food was comfort food, and Sakura definitely deserved whatever comfort came her way. And the place did have a liquor license.

"So, what are you going to order, Kakashi?"

He scanned the oil stained sheet that served as menu. "Let's see. _Ebi tenpura_, _hotategi_ _tenpura_, _ika tenpura_, _anago tenpura_, _kisu tenpura_. _Renkon_, _shiso_, and _satsuma imo_ _tenpura_. And let's not forget _takenoka tenpura_. I detect a theme."

"Silly. _Tenpura-ya wa desu yo_. What did you expect?"

"Actually, I hadn't planned on dining."

"What's the point in going out to eat if you don't _eat_?" She looked at him incredulously.

"Sakura, I don't take off the mask in public. Period. You know that."

"I've seen you at the _Dulled Kunai _more than once. Do you mean to tell me you sit there with your friends and don't imbibe?"

"Nah. That would be crazy. But it's much easier to drink than eat with a mask on."

Sakura's eyes lit up with curiosity. "Will you demonstrate?"

"Sure," he said, as a waitress approached.

Their middle-aged waitress pulled a pencil out of a blowsy bun, and addressed the couple. "What'll it be? The _teishoku_?"

"What type of _tenpura _comes with that?"

The woman chanted, "_Kisu-renkon-ika_-side-of-pickles-rice-and-_miso_-soup."

Sakura couldn't quite decode the rapid onslaught of conversation, and decided it would be better not to ask the woman to repeat herself. She did not appear to be in a very good mood. Still, Sakura couldn't stop herself from asking, "Do you have _kabocha _squash?" It was her favorite after all. Her mother's _kabocha _tempura had been to die for.

"Do you see it on the menu?"

"No."

The woman stood there, smirking, arms crossed over her chest.

Sakura scanned the menu again, obviously flustered.

"Most people order the _teishoku_." The waitress sounded as though she had other things to do, although exactly what was unclear as the restaurant was nearly empty.

Sakura flushed. "Would it be possible to substitute–" The waitress' smirk turned into a glower, and Sakura stopped in mid-sentence. "A mixed seafood plate, please, along with sides of _renkon _and _shiso, kudasai._ And soup and rice, please."

"And you?" She turned to Kakashi.

"Nothing for me, thanks." The woman scowled at him. "I would like a bottle of sake, warmed, and two bowls, though." The woman walked away muttering something about ninjas driving away customers, and Sakura held her face in her hands to stop herself from laughing.

"I can see why you come here. The ambiance is delightful." His voice was dry, but his exposed eye showed that he was on the verge of laughing out loud, something she'd rarely witnessed.

Sakura collapsed into giggles. "And the service is top-notch."

"You'd be surprised though," she said after pausing to take a deep breath to collect herself. "Their tempura is really good. Not as good as my mom's, but..." A far-away look entered Sakura's eyes.

"Let's not talk about the past tonight, Sakura. How are you planning on spending the rest of your vacation?"

"I hadn't really thought about it. I'd like to go to the coast, I guess. The only times I've ever been there were for work. I never got the chance to walk in dunes or explore tide pools, or anything like that."

"You'd be hard pressed to find one location with both dunes and tide-pools, Sakura."

"See how little I know about the sea? All the more reason for me to go. It sounds like _you_ know a lot about it, though."

"My dad's family lived on the coast for generations. I didn't grow up there– I'm a Konoha boy– but we used to go out to my grandparents' old place several times a year until I turned six."

Sakura nearly asked, "What happened when you were six?" but stopped herself in time, as her mind flashed on the scene, viewed from a child's vantage point, of Kakashi's dad taking his own life. "So was it a sand dune kind of place or tide pool?" she asked instead.

"Tide pool. The far north coast is rocky. There are a few flat beaches, but there's not a lot of sand, because the rocks are volcanic and erode slowly. It's rugged and absolutely beautiful. Breathtaking, really."

_Like you. _The thought surprised her. _Where did that come from?_

The waitress reappeared with condiments– a small dish of _tentsuyu _sauce, another of grated _daikon_, and several bowls of sea salt, one plain, one mixed with _yuzu_, and one mixed with powdered green tea leaves. She set them on the table and scowled again, as though she'd blamed them for the lack of business tonight. They weren't sitting near a window, so that hardly seemed probable, but apparently they were a good target for her irritation.

"Thank you, Kakashi." They'd been quiet for a while, Kakashi taking the opportunity to study his former student as she sat lost in thought, a small smile on her lips.

"For what?"

"For buying me dinner. For letting me stay with you. For being a friend."

"I know you'd do the same for me, Sakura. It's no big deal."

"When did you change, Kakashi?"

He looked into her eyes. Exactly what was she talking about? _Time to think quickly, Copy Ninja. Stall._

"I wasn't aware that I _had _changed, Sakura. At least no one else has mentioned it. I'm still the porn-reading _shinobi _with a bad haircut who never shows up on time."His eye crinkled in a smile.

"How is that I've learned more about you in the past few days than in all of the years I've known you, combined? When did you become so talkative?"

"_Sake_." The waitress ("Bless her!" thought Kakashi) unceremoniously slid a tray containing a large bottle of _sake _and two cups onto the table. "I'll be back with tea and your food," she muttered.

"Shall I show you how I drink?" Sakura nodded eagerly, completely forgetting to pester Kakashi for a straight answer to her previous question.

Kakashi poured a sake for Sakura, and she one for him.

"It's really simple. If I hold out the bottom of my mask like this, the cup fits easily. See?"

"Yes, that's about how I'd do it. But I'm pretty sure someone would have noticed you doing that, Kakashi."

"Not if I do it quickly enough. Observe."

Sakura looked at him, noting nothing had changed. "I'm waiting."

He laughed. "Look at the cup. Yours is gone, too."

She tried to hide the fact that she was very impressed. "So why can't you do that with food?"

He poured them both another drink. "I've tried. It's just too messy." He shrugged. "Even soup."

Their order arrived, accompanied by an extravagant sigh from their waitress.

"Are you hungry, Sakura?"

She looked over the rather large pile of tempura in front of her and laughed. "I guess I overdid it a bit. The _miso _soup and rice are for you, though. I thought we could bring it home and warm it up for you."

'_I thought we could bring it home.' _Those words had a nice ring to them, Kakashi observed. "So what's your favorite?"

"_Kabocha_. But I guess it's out of season. She really didn't have to be so rude about it, did she?" She picked up her _wari-bashi_, snapping them apart, then rubbed them along each other to remove any rough edges. She then picked up a shrimp and popped it in her mouth. It was heavenly.

"Beautiful women who ask a lot of questions are often seen as high maintenance, Sakura. Maybe she's jealous."

"I'm not high maintenance, Kakashi! _Ino _is high maintenance. You should spend some time with Sasuke and wife if you want to see high maintenance." _He called me beautiful! _She blushed at the comment, and hoped her high color might be attributed to her indignation instead.

_It is so easy to ruffle her feathers._ Kakashi's eye glinted as he pushed her a little harder. "I'd like the _teishoku_, please." He could mimic her voice surprisingly well, given the fact that his voice was in the range of a baritone, while hers was mezzo-soprano. "But could you substitute_ umi-boshi _for the pickled _daikon_? And I can't abide _kisu _if it isn't absolutely fresh. Could you ask the chef at what time it was caught today? It _was _caught today, wasn't it? Oh, and during what phase of the moon was the _shiso _harvested?" Her foot connected with his knee and he winced. "Mind the kneecap, Sakura," he said in his normal voice.

"I am _not _like that, Kakashi!" But she laughed, despite herself. "I guess I'm a _little _high maintenance when compared with Naruto and Sasuke, but really Kakashi, Naruto would wear the same underwear for weeks if someone wasn't around to remind him. And don't you think that's just as bad, if not worse? And I take it back about Sasuke. He used to spend hours in the bathroom putting gel in his hair, trying to get it just right. And you know he must have spent lots of time in front of the mirror perfecting that scowl. And, for my gender, I'm really an anomaly. I don't spend hours in the bathroom, or try on all my clothes before going out to the grocery store, or spend hours in the apothecary trying to pick out just the right lipstick..."

_You don't need to. I'm sure you're beautiful straight out of bed._ "I know, Sakura. I'm just playing with you. It's fun to get a rise out of you." She tried to kick him again, but this time he caught her foot between his knees.

"Give me my foot back."

Kakashi ignored her, pulling out his copy of _Icha, Icha Takutikusu _and flipping open to a now dog-eared page.

"Kakashi." Sakura wiggled her foot, succeeding in removing it from her shoe, but Kakashi pressed his knees tighter around her heel, preventing her from pulling her foot back to herself.

"I'm only protecting myself, Sakura," he said without looking up from his book.

Sakura sighed and went back to eating her tempura, not noticing that Kakashi had poured himself yet another bowl of sake. After gorging herself for a while (she could afford to, she told herself, she had a very high metabolism, after all), she looked up at Kakashi and laughed.

"I've been thinking something was different about you tonight. At first I thought it was that you weren't wearing your jounin uniform– but I have seen you in other clothes a time or two." He really did look attractive tonight. She hadn't seen much in the way of civilian clothes in his closet, but tonight he was wearing jeans that looked as though they'd been custom-cut to accentuate the lean muscles of his legs. In addition, he wore a plain, white button-down shirt, open slightly at the neck (she doubted he owned a tie and didn't blame him– what was the point of wearing a ribbon around ones neck?), to reveal just a hint of his chest. The stark whiteness of the shirt's fabric set off the paleness of his skin, and contrasted nicely with the mask which stopped at the bottom of his neck. Of course, he'd look even more handsome without the mask, but hopefully, he'd be removing it when they returned to his apartment. Her thoughts surprised her for a moment, but then Sakura reasoned that she was reacting in a completely normal fashion. There was no denying that Kakashi was a singularly attractive man, attractive to Sakura in a way that Sasuke had never been. He wasn't a scowling pretty boy, for one thing. Kakashi was rugged, like the shoreline he'd described. That roughness was a major part of his charm, she realized. And certainly there was nothing wrong with admitting the man was damn handsome. It was an objective measure, to be sure, that could be verified by anyone (male or female) who happened to see him without it. Not that this was to happen anytime soon. Sakura smiled at the thought that she'd been allowed to see something few others had.

"So what was it?" He turned a page and looked closely at the illustration depicting the words he'd just read. He really had to hand it to Jiraiya-- his books were never dull, though of necessity they covered the same ground, over and over. He always managed to throw in a new twist, in this case literally.

"Hmm?" What had they been talking about? How well dressed he was? Sakura searched to find the thread of conversation. "Oh. I don't think I"ve ever seen you in public without that book in front of your nose. It's funny that it took so long for me to figure it out. It's as obvious as if you were missing an appendage."

Kakashi looked up and smiled, and Sakura took the opportunity to try wrenching her foot from his clamp-like grip.

"You'll need to try a little harder than that, Sakura." Still holding his precious book in one hand, he ran the nail of his other index finger along the sole of her trapped, stocking-covered foot, and laughed as Sakura shivered and twitched her leg. "Ticklish, huh? Yet another weapon I can use against you. Which rule is that, Sakura-- 'Always be looking for your opponent's hidden weakness'? "

"Rule Number 21, I think." Well, she didn't _think_, she _knew_. She'd voluntarily memorized the hundred-odd Rules of Shinobi Conduct as an academy student years ago, as she'd been an overachiever even then. And a bit of a kiss-ass, too, if truth be told. Now Sakura smiled as an idea came to her. "So, Kakashi, why did you take out the book, just now? Am I not good enough company for you?"

He looked up, startled by her words. "N-no, Sakura." His hand moved involuntarily to the back of his head, and he adjusted the knot of his _hitae-ate, _signaling his embarrassment. "It's just that you're eating, and there's an awful lot of food in front of you, so I thought you'd be occupied for a while. I hate interrupting people while they eat." He was rambling, for some reason. "You know, I never realized you had that much of an appetite."

"I hope you're not calling me fat, Kakashi." His eye widened at the possibility of this unintended insult, but then he noticed Sakura was smiling– a real smile, not like the dangerous, semi-malicious one she'd displayed years ago before raising large bumps on Naruto's crown. The boy had never known when to shut up. "I've always eaten like this, Kakashi. But compared to what Naruto chokes down it doesn't look like much. I'd guess that's why you hadn't noticed." Sakura took advantage of Kakashi's distraction to raise and carefully extend her other leg so that it hovered just above Kakashi's thigh. Gently she moved her foot down until only her toes made contact with his leg. Then she quickly moved them waistward in a gentle caress.

She'd never seen the man blush before, but even with his mask on, she could tell he was, and brightly, at that. And she hadn't even come close to any of the more valuable real estate. Sakura pulled both of her feet away and smiled sweetly. "What was Rule Number 21, again? Oh yes, 'Always be looking for your opponent's weakness.'"

"Touche. You've learned well, Cherry Blossom." _She knows that she's my weakness? No, she couldn't have meant that. She must have been referring to my preoccupation with Icha, Icha. _Kakashi looked at his former student warily as he poured himself another drink.

He went back to his book, and she to her eating, not noticing that the rather large ceramic bottle that held the sake was now nearly empty. Sakura had drunk only one bowlful, and moved on to green tea after that. She didn't like how she felt when she was drunk. The loss of control frightened her.

"Well, are you ready to go, Kakashi?" Sakura stretched with a satiated smile on her face. Kakashi looked up to see that she had indeed demolished the several piles of tempura that had once stood before her. "I'll ask the waitress to wrap up the soup and rice, if you'd like. Kakashi?"

"Hmm?" His eye was a bit glazed over. "No, no, Sakura. I absolutely hate tempura. I thought you knew that about me."

"I'm not talking about– oh, never mind." She called the waitress over, who brought to-go containers to them faster than Sakura would have thought possible. Apparently the woman would be glad to see the back of them. After packing up the remnants of dinner, Sakura stood, and after crawling under the table to retrieve her shoes tried to help Kakashi to his feet. "How much did you drink?"

"Enough, apparently."

"Can you walk?"

"Since I was six months old."

"Six months? That's incredibly early."

Kakashi pointed to his nose. "Progidy. Progigy. Whatever."

_He must be really drunk to be slurring his speech._ "I need your wallet, Kakashi."

Kakashi stared off vacantly, apparently not hearing Sakura's simple request. Unfortunately, Sakura hadn't brought her own wallet, as her skirt had no pockets, and hadn't packed a purse in her luggage. Her hands moved to Kakashi's rear, where she saw a wallet clearly outlined against the fabric of his pocket.

"Are you getting fresh with me, young lady?"

"Yes." Sakura sighed as she escorted the intoxicated _shinobi _to the cash register.

"Good."

She turned and looked at him questioningly, but his eyes were elsewhere.

"Do you make tempura out of these fish?" He was addressing the proprietor, who stood at the register.

"No, no, they're pets. They're there for good luck." Every restaurant in Konoha had a fish tank near the entrance– it was a _feng shui_ thing.

"I'll bet they'd taste good."

The man looked at Kakashi as though he were insane.

Sakura mouthed the word "drunk" at the man, quickly handed him enough money to pay the bill, and bowed slightly in apology. This was absolutely mortifying. She'd never seen Kakashi drunk before, ever. Not even at the Uchiha wedding, where the sake had flowed freely in an ostentatious display of wealth (Ino's idea, no doubt). Of course, she hadn't spent much time with him in the last eight years, and as his student she'd never been out drinking with him. Maybe he was a total lush. _It might have been good to know this before you agreed to stay at his place, baka. _

_Calm down, Sakura. He's not a lush. He only had one bottle of sake, and look what it's done to him. It takes five bottles to bring Tsunade to this state. _Sakura took a deep breath, and steered Kakashi out the door.

"Sakura, I think I'm drunk."

"Really?" She rolled her eyes as she breathed in the crisp night air. "I won't take advantage of you Kakashi, don't worry."

He laughed at this. The coolness of the night seemed to be sobering him up rapidly.

"I apologize for this. I really don't drink very often."

"Why not? Don't you hang out with Genma and Gai and all?"

"Yeah, but I usually nurse one drink for hours. The problem with getting drunk is that I'm more likely to say 'yes,' when Gai challenges me to do something inane. And Genma always eggs him on. He seems to delight in humiliating me."

"That's part of his voyeurism, I'd say. So what was the worst challenge you've ever accepted from Gai?"

Kakashi laughed. "Depends on what you mean by worst. Most dangerous? Most humiliating? Most stupid?"

"Let's go with most dangerous."

"There are many contenders for that. The one that sticks in my mind is the time that Gai bet me he could hit an orange with a _kunai_, while blindfolded, from a hundred paces."

"And?" That really didn't sound too bad.

"The orange was held in my teeth, and Gai was blind drunk. I was pretty drunk myself, though not quite as far gone. If I'd done _kawarimi _one millisecond later, I'd no longer be the handsome man standing before you."

"Walking next to me."

"Whatever.'

"Why didn't you use _kawarimi _from the beginning?"

"Well, I was drunk, like I said."

"Sounds to me like you deserved it, then. And who says you're handsome, anyway?"

"I think you did."

"No, I didn't."

"Not those exact words. But you did say, and I quote: 'Tanaka and the other nurses don't know what they're missing.'"

"Okay. I think you're handsome. You have an eidetic memory, don't you?" Even drunk the man could quote accurately and banter without missing a beat.

"It's freeing to admit the truth, isn't it?"

"What truth? What the hell are you talking about, Kakashi?" Sakura's face was crimson.

In the faint glow of the half moon, she saw her mentor's smile. The street was empty, and he'd deemed it safe to show his face. "My god-like appearance," she heard him say.

"You know what, copy-ninja? I'm just going to chalk up this behavior to you being drunk. Now give me the key. I am _not _going to search for it."

Kakashi pulled the item from his front pants pocket and passed it to the fuming _kunoichi_. She climbed the two flights of stairs to his apartment, checking back occasionally to make sure Kakashi was still okay. He was gripping the handrail tightly, but seemed a lot more sober than when they'd left the restaurant. She fumbled with the lock, shifting the bag of leftovers to her hip as she did so, and was arrested by a wall of warmth as she opened the door.

"Looks like someone left on the heater," she said over her shoulder.

"I did. I hate the cold."

"Your heating bill must be unbelievable," Sakura said, thinking of how poorly insulated Konoha buildings were. "Well, sit down while I warm this up. You are not going to bed on an empty stomach. The rice will soak up some of the alcohol, so that you don't get even more drunk."

"I'd rather just sleep it off."

"I said, 'Sit.'"

"What am I? One of your dogs?" He was using his Sakura voice again, and grinning wickedly. But he sat, and admired her figure as she busied herself searching through the kitchen cabinets for a steamer. It was logically located as one might expect from a highly logical man such as he, in the cabinet just next to the stove, but Kakashi felt no urge to point out to her where the bamboo tool was located. Watching her stretch to reach the uppermost shelves was quite entertaining, particularly as her sweater rode up as she did so, revealing the satiny smooth skin of her back.

"You don't have a steamer, do you?"

"I do. But I don't use it often. I'm not really sure where it would be. Probably pushed toward the back of a cabinet." He smirked as she crouched low to reinspect each of the lower cabinets more carefully, giving him a prime view of her posterior, then gripped his chair as he began to feel the warmth of the room amplify his drunkenness.

"Ha!" Sakura cried. She'd found it. Entertainment over.

"Sakura. I'm sorry, but I think I need to lie down." Kakashi rose and swayed a bit, grabbing his chair back for support. "I'll be on the couch."

Sakura placed an arm around him. "No, I think not. Don't even think about arguing." She guided him toward his bedroom and eased him onto his bed. "I'll be back in a moment. I just need to turn off the stove."

She returned quickly, and knelt next to him on the bed. "I'm going to help your liver a bit, Kakashi."

"Liver?"

"Yes, the organ you're currently destroying." She slid her hand under his shirt until it rested just under his ribs, on his body's right-hand side.

"Your hand is cold."

"Quit complaining or I'll leave you like this."

"You are so bossy. But it's okay-- I like it." Kakashi settled back into the pillows and moved onto his side as she began to trickle _chakra _though his skin and muscles and into the organ charged with detoxifying his body. Her _chakra _intensified the metabolism of the cells tasked with breaking down alcohol into non-toxic substances. She felt their activity increase substantially as her _chakra _provided the energy required to do so. His blood would make a complete circuit through his body in less than a minute– maybe as little as thirty seconds, given his prime physical condition. A half hour of therapy, then, allowing for the alcohol that was still seeping through his system, should bring his blood level down to a reasonable level. She settled in closer to him as she worked, noticing that he'd already fallen asleep, with a peaceful expression on his face. Fifteen more minutes. She'd be so much more comfortable if she lay down next to him, she realized, and quickly did so, draping her arm over his side. She quickly fell asleep.

Kakashi awoke to feel a warmth pressed against his back, and a soft hand still pressed against his abdomen. He rolled over carefully to face her, noting how fragile the petite yet terrifyingly strong _kunoichi _looked as she slept. Her mouth was slightly open, her breathing steady. Her skirt had hiked up her thighs, revealing tantalizingly smooth, stocking-covered flesh. Damn, she looked good in black. The draped neck of her sweater revealed far more of her flesh than he'd seen when she was upright, allowing her black satin bra to peek out, enticing him further. He longed to caress her, to feel her soft skin against his lips. Kakashi sighed as he rose from the bed and stretched. He felt much better, thanks to Sakura, although he was still slightly under the influence. He'd made a fool of himself tonight-- of this he was certain. She'd have to be completely clueless not to realize by now that he was attracted to her. But perhaps this was a good thing. It was much less intimidating to hear such words from a drunken person than from a sober one, as she would be able to attribute his words to alcohol. Yet the seed had been planted. Hopefully the result would be that she'd begin to think about him differently. Of course, maybe she was already doing so. What had the foot in his lap been about? Or the blush when they'd discussed how handsome he was? Things seemed to be moving along nicely.

More importantly, despite his foolishness, Kakashi had achieved the major purpose of the evening. He'd distracted Sakura successfully. He'd been worried that she'd begin to obsess over the loss of privacy she'd been faced with earlier in the day, and that she'd be unable to sleep as a result, even in the relative safety of Kakashi's apartment. Yet here she was, slumbering peacefully, in his bed no less. He'd been upset when she demanded he take the bed, and had no doubt that she'd be irked were he to take the couch now. But he certainly wasn't going to rouse her so that he could sleep alone. He gently lifted her from the bed, pulled the _kakebuton _and top sheet down, and replaced the beautiful woman in his bed. Then he crawled in next to her, and draped her against him, reveling in her softness and warmth.


	19. Third date– At Sakura’s Invitation

_Disclaimer: Naruto and associated characters are property of Masashi Kishimoto. They are not my property!_

**Fourteen Dates **

_Authors note: Oh, boy. This chapter contains my first fight scene. I hope it meets expectations!_

**Chapter 19– Third date– At Sakura's Invitation**

_Obito, I've kept this from you for eight years. That makes me a quite a liar, doesn't it? Lies of omission are still lies. But if it makes you feel any better, I've been lying to myself, too. So, here's the deal. I'm in love, Obito. Completely in love. This has never happened to me before– I've never let it. I remember how you felt about Rin, how desperately you loved her. I've never felt that way about anyone. Then I noticed Sakura. Do you remember me telling you about her twelve years ago? The little pink-haired girl who was completely obsessed over your cousin, Sasuke? She's the one. She's not twelve anymore– I'm not a total pervert, Obito, although many people would tell you different. But when I fell in love with her, it was completely the wrong time. She was only sixteen. Yes, the age of consent is still age thirteen in Fire Country (and I hear it's twelve in Sand), but I had been her _sensei_, the person to whom she'd been entrusted. And her parents had just died– she was completely vulnerable. It wouldn't have been right, and considering the reputation I have among the villagers, I probably would have been lynched. Her family was pretty well known in the village– they were merchants. I don't think their friends would have let it pass. What am I saying? That wasn't the real reason, Obito. I learned to ignore what others said after my mother died. The excuse I just gave you was one of the ones I made to rationalize running away– and apparently, I'm still using it. I've repeated them to myself so many times that now even I half-believe my own excuses. Here's the truth: Sakura needed me– I was the only person she cared about that could be there in Konoha to comfort her, and I ran away, because I was scared of loving her. Scared. Me. Everyone I've loved has been taken from me– you, Rin, my parents. It seemed easier not to love anymore. But it was selfish and hurtful. Sakura survived me abandoning her somehow, but I can see that the time she spent alone changed her. She is very much a loner now– she's not the ebullient kunoichi she used to be. She's much more withdrawn, and I feel somewhat responsible for that. Not to be completely egotistical about it– I realize I am not the center of her world-- but I know that I hurt her and I had some part to play in shaping her. As far as I've heard, she doesn't date, and hasn't since she broke up with Sasuke, years and years ago. She's thrown herself into her work, and damn, she's good. She'll probably be made head medic in the next few years._

_That's no thanks to me, of course. I was so busy focusing on Sasuke that I left her and Naruto behind. I told myself that focusing on Sasuke would honor you– he was the last Uchiha, and looked a lot like you. But really, I chose Sasuke because he was most like me. He was the arrogant one, as big a prick as I was at his age– the one who couldn't wait to grow up and move on as a real ninja. The one who couldn't be bothered to make friendships. The one who was constantly judging other and finding them lacking. Sasuke never recognized the need for training, even as he accepted one-on-one tutoring from me. He never even recognized me as _sensei_. Do you see the similarities?_

_Meanwhile, the other two members of my team grew, but without my help. Annoying Naruto, who threw himself into everything, who was such a clown and so slow on the uptake that I never thought he'd amount to anything– he will be Konoha's next hokage. I'm sure of it. Jiraiya has taught him well. Interesting that he ended up with Yondaime's _sensei_, isn't it? Naruto learned the _Rasengan _in only _days_. It took me weeks, even with your _Sharingan_. I was lucky enough to have him as a student again for a short time after he learned it, but as usual, not for long. So just about everything Naruto's accomplished has been without my help. He and Sakura have accompanied me on some missions since team seven disbanded, and it's been amazing to see what they've achieved. They're adults, they're _jounin_, all accomplished without my help._

_And Sakura. She's as talented as Naruto and Sasuke, in her own, less flashy way. But I didn't recognize that talent when I was her _sensei_. And that's a sensei's job isn't it– to recognize and nourish the individual's talents? I dismissed her, the day we met, as a preteen who cared more about boys than about becoming a _shinobi_. I was so wrong. Yes, she was twelve, and silly like most twelve-year old girls, but twelve-year old boys are silly, too. Like Naruto, Sakura threw herself into everything she did, but I was too absorbed in the boys to notice. She was the one who mastered tree-walking her on her first attempt. Can you think of anyone in our class who did that? It took me three days, remember? But there she was, the member of my team who considered herself inferior to the rest of us, doing something completely amazing– and I didn't make a big deal of it. I really didn't even praise her for it– I was too busy egging on the boys. It was like that the whole time I was her _sensei_. Finally she gave up on me and Tsunade took her under her wing. The girl I overlooked was good enough to become the Hokage's apprentice, in other words. You know how hard it is for girls to be taken seriously as _shinobi_– do you remember how frustrated Rin would get? Do you remember that even our _sensei _dismissed her at times?_

_Sakura is a lot like Rin, Obito, and knowing her has helped me to see just what it was that you loved about Rin. Maybe it has to do with being a medic, but it's amazing to see how Sakura gives herself completely to her patients. She's always been extremely hot-tempered (maybe it's that pink hair– you know what they say about redheads) but she doesn't hold a grudge. She could have refused to help me– she would have had every right to– but she helped me anyway, lost weeks of sleep to bring me back. And this is without even knowing why I left her, or why I've continued to avoid her for the past eight years._

_So why am I telling you all this? Well, Sakura healed me recently, and went well beyond her normal role as a medic to do so. We spent a lot of time together– me incapacitated and unable to respond to her, and she, as far as I can tell, unguarded and honest. We were intimate, though not in the sexual sense. I realized I still love her. And so, finally, Obito, I'm doing something about it. For twenty-five years I thought that the best way to honor your memory was to join you as soon as possible. I thought I didn't deserve to be alive, and I did everything I could to make my day-to-day life as empty as possible. I took on the highest-risk missions– not out of a sense of duty to Konoha, but because of my death wish. I wanted to die like you and Rin did, as a hero. And I wanted it to happen as soon as possible. But death never came. _

_The guilt I've felt over your deaths, and over not being able to join you has been the only emotion I've allowed myself to feel deeply. But now Sakura's in my life again, Obito. And I want to love her. I want to give myself to her, if she's willing. Tell me this isn't wrong._

"You deserve this, Kakashi. Honor my memory in this way: by living as you are meant to live, and by loving the person you are meant to love._"_ It was Obito's voice. In the twenty-five years Kakashi had been visiting the memorial stone, he'd never heard that voice. Today he did, clearly, as though the boy were standing beside him, be-goggled, arms akimbo, telling him the way things were, challenging his complacence. It was the voice of a thirteen-year-old– slightly croaky, on the verge of changing. It was the voice of a life cut short. Yet in that voice was the optimism Kakashi remembered.

Kakashi rose from his knees with a smile on his face, now certain that what he was doing was right. He felt blessed in this endeavor by his dearest friend. He leaned and pressed his lips against the memorial stone in a gesture of thanks, then walked away, filled with a peace he'd never felt before, and an eagerness to begin his future with Sakura.

As he entered the training field, he pulled the note Sakura had left for him from his pocket.

"Kakashi– Hope I didn't wake you. I am going out for a long run. If you are feeling up to it, would you like to spar later this morning, perhaps around ten? I'll be at the training ground. No pressure– I don't think I healed you completely last night. Hope you are not feeling too miserable. Sorry for waking up in your bed. –Sakura."

It's only ten to ten, thought Kakashi, checking the watch he was wearing for the second time that week. The look on her face would be priceless. He walked quietly across the field to the training ground, where Sakura sat meditating, silently removed his sandals, and sat opposite her, mirroring her position. Her eyes were closed, as they had been this morning as she lay in his arms. He had fallen asleep holding her, and at some time during the early morning, Kakashi had awoken to find that she had reciprocated the embrace, placing her head against his chest, splaying her hand across his back, and intertwining her legs with his. This was not a position in which Kakashi could continue to sleep– he was far too aroused by this intimate contact– so he had lain with her in this embrace, breathing in her fragrance and feeling her soft warmth against him, as well as a certain amount of discomfort from the jeans he was wearing, which were now a bit too tight. Kakashi risked kissing the top of her head and stroking her hair– he couldn't resist. She was not a morning person, after all, and had always been hard to rouse in the early hours of the day. He had thought it unlikely that such an action would wake her. But she surprised him by whispering his name, then snuggling even more closely against him and falling more deeply asleep.

She'd awoken after another hour or so, and Kakashi, though playing possum, had been totally aware of her responses. She stretched languorously at first, then stiffened and gave a soft cry of surprise as she realized exactly where she was, and in whose arms she lay. For just a moment he considered making it difficult for her to leave their embrace, but decided there was no need to add to her obvious embarrassment. He'd relaxed his limbs, allowing her to carefully disengage herself from him, which she did tentatively, as though afraid of awakening him. As quietly as possible (which was very quietly, given her profession) she'd hopped out of bed, rifled through her still-unpacked belongings, performed her morning ablutions and hurried out of the apartment.

And now she was meditating, completely relaxed and unaware of his presence.

_Scratch that,_ he thought as he saw a smile disturb her serene features.

"I'm having a hard time believing it's you, considering it's still morning, but it is your _chakra _signature I feel. When did you enter the land of the living?" She'd sensed him, after all. Not surprising, considering she was a jounin and a master of chakra manipulation. She still hadn't opened her eyes.

"Do you meditate every day?"

"If I can. I miss it when I don't. It helps calm me down– makes me less likely to fly into a rage. My colleagues appreciate it." She smiled wryly. Despite her daily meditation, she had earned several private nicknames from the staff– nicknames she wasn't supposed to know about. "She-Bear" was the most objectionable in her view, worse than "Bitch," "Mini-Tsunade," and the other appellations she'd heard.

"You do seem a bit more placid."

"You think so?" Her eyes opened in surprise. "Was I that horrible when I was your student?"

"You were a wonderful student, Sakura. I know you didn't think so, but..."

"Thanks." She smiled brightly at him, a real smile and he felt it warm him for a moment. Then she changed the subject, apparently unwilling to continue to bask in the glow of his compliment. "So, Kakashi. Why did you get so drunk last night?"

"Because I didn't eat."

"Oh? Is that what it was?" Her voice dripped with sarcasm. "You know that's not what I meant."

"Hmm. I'm not sure. I usually don't drink that much. I don't like losing control."

"Neither do I."

"Did I embarrass you?" His visible eye twinkled.

Sakura laughed. "The restaurant owner thought you were crazy. He was worried for his fish."

Apparently that was Sakura's way of saying, "Yes." Kakashi put on his most contrite expression, although this was hard to see with his mask covering most of his face. "Sorry, Sakura-_chan_."

"I probably should have let you suffer the consequences, Kakashi-_kun_."

He smiled at the honorific. It had been some time since she'd used it. "I'm glad you didn't." She blushed at this, thinking of the position she'd found herself in this morning.

"So, are you feeling up to sparring?"

"I wouldn't be here if I weren't." _Yes, you would, Copy Ninja. You'd be here with a broken leg, ruptured spleen, kidney stones, anything. Let's not kid ourselves._

"Any limits?"

"No. Full-on. We both need the practice."

"You really think I'm good enough to go up against you, full-on? Wow. Well, if you're going to use your _Sharingan_, I'm going to do a check-up afterwards. Agreed?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Don't call me that unless you want me to get angry."

"Yes, ma'am."

Sakura clenched her fists as Kakashi disappeared from sight. What should she expect from him? True, the man knew well over 1,000 _jutsu_, but he seemed to limit himself to his favorites. And he certainly wouldn't do anything too dangerous, like _Chidori_, or _Rasengan _on her. She could count on a substitution _jutsu_, or several. She jumped as several _shuriken _whizzed past her.

"Sakura, don't just stand there." She dove just in time to avoid a barrage of _kunai_, then crawled through the underbrush, toward the sound of his voice. He'd probably thrown his voice, or perhaps used a shadow clone to launch the attack, but then again, he might be using the simplest of strategies in the hopes that she'd over-think things. He did tend to underestimate her.

Sakura saw the slightest rustle in an understory rhododendron and knew she'd found Kakashi's location. Or his double's. If it was a clone, there was a good chance that Kakashi was in viewing distance, and in the trees, most likely between 5 and 10 meters from the ground. Sakura quickly glanced around her and gauged the density of the foliage covering her. Satisfied that she was well-hidden, even from above, she made the hand seals and said the words to create her own shadow clones. She'd worked hard to be able to create more than one at a time, and hadn't told anyone of her new capability. This should be a surprise to him. Sakura directed one clone to stay in the current position, and the other two to circle back, then climb into the trees at seven o'clock and five o'clock relative to the target, but back a good 10 meters. Kakashi liked to have a frontal view of his own clones, and he liked to stay close by. There was a good chance her clones would be able to locate him from this position, and catch him unaware. Sakura herself ran back 15 meters, and climbed high into the nearest tree to get a bird's eye view of the proceedings.

"Fire," she thought, and the first clone released three _kunai _in rapid succession. Sakura heard the clunk of metal embedding in wood, and saw no retaliatory fire. He'd used _Kawarimi_, then, as she'd expected. Her clone on the ground had given itself away, and Kakashi was undoubtedly approaching it. She saw him, at six o'clock, as he leaped gently to the ground and entered the underbrush, and heard the sound of flesh striking flesh. Sakura smiled. Kakashi had been just where she'd expected, only meters ahead of her own clones positioned in the trees. She directed clone one to move out into the open, and clone two to move closer. The first landed a blow to Kakashi's jaw, knocking him back several meters. He threw a _kunai _with deadly accuracy, then swore as clone one revealed its true nature. Clone two threw several _shuriken _at the copy ninja, but was too late. As the spinning blades approached, Kakashi's form was engulfed in a blur of whirling leaves. Time to regroup.

Shadow clones couldn't teleport, at least not to Sakura's knowledge. So, the man on the ground indeed had been Kakashi. Not that it mattered, now. He could be anywhere! Sakura calmed herself and forced herself to think analytically, to limit her speculations to those that were supported by fact, and to select the simplest explanation that fit all available observations. It wasn't exactly true that Kakashi couldn't be anywhere, she told herself. Teleportation was for short distances only– 10 to 20 meters, max. That put Kakashi within a circle 40 meters in diameter, possibly smaller. And as he was likely in the trees, she and her clones should stay there as well. What else was important? He was now aware that she was using shadow clones– but he had seen her do that before. But only one at a time. It was likely, therefore, that he thought the second clone was the real Sakura. He'd be tracking it, then.

Sakura directed clone three to stay within 3 meters of the second, and did the same herself, positioning herself on the opposite side. There he was, jumping lightly from tree to tree, as he followed clone two. Clone three moved in close behind, blade at the ready. Kakashi crept up behind clone two and held a _kunai _to its throat. The clone drove its elbow into his abdomen, and twisted around. As it did so, Kakashi drove the erstwhile digging implementinto its upper arm, and the clone promptly disappeared. Kakashi looked surprised, as he should be on learning of Sakura's mastery of this technique. Clone three took the opportunity to jump him, and fell with him to the ground. The real Sakura jumped, too, landing lightly on her feet, and ran quietly toward the tussle. The clone quickly pinned him, taking advantage of some of the real Sakura's prodigious strength, and held its own _kunai _to his throat. _Kawarimi _again, on Kakashi's part. Then his hand reached from the ground and grabbed the leg of the almost-Sakura. The real Sakura took the opportunity to gather _chakra _to her hand, then struck the ground with immense force. The earth faulted, rupturing rapidly in a straight line towards Kakashi, rendering his attack useless. He looked surprised for a moment as the split earth revealed him, then disappeared.

It would be stupid for her to teleport– it would show him which Sakura was the real one. The clone had the same strength she did– either one of them could have struck the massive blow to the ground. Sakura directed her remaining clone to take cover, and did so herself. He'd be in the trees again. There would be no reason to go to the ground if he wasn't using the Doton: Shinjuu Zanshu technique. But what _would _he do? _Think, Sakura._ She'd surprised him, that seemed pretty clear. He had been using simple strategies– it had been the real Kakashi, not clones, for every encounter so far. He would want to regroup, Sakura thought. So send in the clones. Sakura moved higher in her tree and directed her own clone to make itself a bit more obvious. It allowed a branch to make the slightest rustle. An onslaught of _shuriken _was the immediate reward. Sakura's clone avoided every one. More importantly, Sakura now knew the position of one of Kakashi's doubles. She was certain a clone had launched the attack. Sakura moved to where she thought the real Kakashi most likely to be– in view of both her clone and his own. She masked her _chakra _as she moved in a wide half-circle toward his position, then crept up behind him. She was sure this was he. His posture was lazy, relaxed, as though there was no chance of her finding him.

"You're dead, Copy Ninja," she said as she wrapped her arm around his neck, constricting his windpipe. With the agility he was known for, Kakashi turned the tables, wrenching her over him, then pulling her toward him with a quick, fluid motion. She looked up at him, surprise in her eyes, then noticed that his _hitae-ate_ was displaced. His Sharingan spun lazily, and she found herself unable to look away. She lost herself in the depths of his kaleidoscope eye and slumped in his arms. He lifted her, then jumped nimbly to the ground, and lay her head in his lap. It would be at least half an hour until she came to.

...o...o...o...

"You surprised me, Sakura." Kakashi's mask was down and a water bottle was in his hands. He took a swig of the cool liquid, then continued. "I wasn't expecting three shadow clones."

Sakura smiled. "You underestimated me, didn't you?"

"It's not the first time, is it? Your fighting style has certainly changed. Being able to think like your opponent is a formidable skill. Is this Tsunade's training?"

"No. She's more a brute force kind of person. I always rush into things– Tsunade really hasn't helped much with that. But, today I decided to fight the way I've seen you fight."

Kakashi smiled at the compliment, showing his dimples. Maybe he had taught her something after all. "You did well. You would have beaten me if I hadn't used the _Sharingan_."

"Speaking of which." Sakura sat up, to Kakashi's dismay. He'd been enjoying her proximity. He liked the idea of her using his lap as a pillow. "I need to examine your eye." She knelt in front of him, and lifted his _hitae-ate_. "How does it feel?"

"No pain, Sakura. Hypnotizing someone takes almost no _chakra_."

Sakura lay her hand against his eye and let her _chakra _gently probe. She detected no swelling, nothing unusual. She removed her hand and smiled as she looked into both his eyes. "You're fine. You know, I thought it would hurt."

"I told you it uses minimal _chakra_. Why would it hurt?"

"No, I thought it would hurt _me_."

"I wouldn't do that to you, Sakura. Not even if you'd turned against me." Kakashi replaced his mask, stretched and rose to his feet, pulling up Sakura as he did so. "Are you ready to head back? I don't know about you, but I need a shower."

"I can't believe how tired I am. Is it because of the _Sharingan_? My shadow clones did most of the work this morning– I hardly moved a muscle."

"True, but you divided your _chakra _evenly among you, so you started out with only a fourth of your normal _chakra_. I'm not surprised you're tired. But, no, it's not due to the _Sharingan_. You should be fully recovered from that. You were out for about thirty minutes."

"Are you all right? I forgot to ask. Some medic, huh?"

"I have a couple of bruises, but nothing major. No worries here."

"I'll fix them after you shower."

"If you insist. It's nice having my own personal medic." Kakashi's tone was dry. "I almost forgot. I ran across Izumo this morning. Tsunade wants to see you about the incident yesterday. She's scheduled a meeting for two o'clock with the Internal Affairs team."

"The incident. Oh." Sakura's mood darkened, and Kakashi saw fear momentarily cloud her face.

"I'd be happy to come with you."

"Would you, Kakashi? I don't think I can watch that video without a friend by my side."

"Well, I'm definitely that, Sakura." _But I want to be more._

"Yes, you are." Sakura wrapped her arm around him and pulled him closer to her as they walked home. He found he had no problem with this public display of affection.

"And you won't think less of me?"

Kakashi turned to face her. "What on earth do you mean? How could I think less of you?"

"I know I'm going to cry. I don't want you to see how weak I am."

"You've proven over and over that you're not weak. But you _are _human, Sakura. We all are. Don't be afraid of that."

Sakura sighed. "You don't cry."

"You don't know that, Sakura." But it was true. He hadn't cried since Obito had died. Not for Rin, not for any of his fallen comrades. But he knew now that he _would _cry for Sakura– if she died, if she spurned him, if she ever left him. And he wasn't ashamed of this. Actually, he welcomed the realization.

...o...o...o...

It had been a horrible afternoon. Surprisingly, Kakashi had found himself almost as upset as Sakura was. Almost. She'd broken down almost immediately. The drive they had saved had many, many clips, most edited to show her in the best (read: most detailed) light, and although the internal affairs team had fast-forwarded through many of the clips, they moved slowly enough for Sakura to see that her every waking moment had been recorded and analyzed. He'd even taped her most private moments in the bathroom, Sakura saw, though thankfully the IA staffers hadn't slowed those clips down to examine them in detail. Nonetheless, the knowledge of this particular indignity had affected Sakura the worst.

"I can't believe this," she said, over and over, the words becoming a mantra. Kakashi held her hand in his, gently stroking his thumb against it.

"Tell me again what the point of this is." His voice had come out more angry than he intended, and the two IA staffers jumped. They were very familiar with his reputation, it seemed. "You have the evidence you need. I think we're finished." He pulled Sakura to her feet, and pulled the hard drive from the computer.

One IA staffer protested, but Kakashi quickly shut him down. "Tsunade will be keeping this in her office. This will not get into the wrong hands. Do we understand each other?" The two men gulped and nodded.

"Let's go, Sakura," Kakashi said gently, and took her down the hall to the Godaime's office. "I'll be right out," he said as they reached the door, not even waiting for a reply to his knock.

Tsunade looked up with an angry expression on her face. How dare he disturb her? She quickly moved the bottle of sake off her desk and into the drawer she reserved as mini-bar. Then she remembered why he was in the building, and her face softened. "I take it that it didn't go well?"

Kakashi placed the hard drive on the Hokage's desk, a look of disgust on his face. He was direct, as usual. "I'm worried about her. She really didn't need to go through that, just now. Your IA staff are as perverted as Takabishi. But that's not why I'm here. Tsunade-_sama_, I know that you've grounded me for the next few weeks, but Sakura needs to get out of Konoha for a while. I'd be happy to take her– that way she can keep an eye on my condition," he almost rolled his eyes at this, "and she can get some rest."

"Good idea." He'd expected some resistance. Kakashi's eye widened at her immediate approval. "I would suggest two weeks, but stay in Fire country."

"Of course. Thank you, Tsunade-_sama_." He bowed before exiting the room.

"Kakashi." Tsunade's voice was sharp. Kakashi wheeled around to see that her expression matched her voice. "Sakura is very dear to me. I expect you to take good care of her."

"I'd put her life before mine."

"That's not what I mean, Kakashi. Do I need to spell it out for you? It's obvious from the way you looked at her this afternoon that you feel something towards her. If you hurt her–"

"Tsunade-_sama_," Kakashi's voice was strained, and almost too soft to discern. "Sakura means the world to me. I will never, ever hurt her again."

Tsunade's eyes widened. She'd thought it was just lust. This was clearly something else. Who would have thought the Copy Ninja could love?

"I'm going to hold you to that, Kakashi. My Sakura deserves to be happy, Does she know how you feel?"

"No, Tsunade-_sama_. She's still oblivious, I think."

"Well, then, good luck to you. I'll see you in two weeks."

"I have a surprise for you," Kakashi said as he closed the door to the Hokage's office.

"I really don't think I can handle any more surprises, Kakashi. At least not today. I just want to curl up and go to sleep." Sakura's voice was flat, drained of all emotion.

"Tomorrow, then. I think you'll like it."

...o...o...o...

She was bathing, in her dream, luxuriating in her deep bathtub as she did almost every day. Suddenly, she felt eyes upon her. Sakura looked around and saw the cameras– visible, red light flashing, recording her every move. She tried to cover herself, but found that the water had drained and the fluffy towels she'd seen just a moment before had suddenly disappeared. She crouched to hide herself as best she could and suddenly realized that she'd be there for hours, that her unease was probably adding to the voyeur's pleasure. Then she saw his face at her window, the pleasant, grandfatherly face that had seemed so safe, so friendly.

Sakura woke up in a cold sweat and bolted upright in bed. This wasn't her bed, she realized. She looked up and trembled involuntarily. There was a person standing in the shadow of the doorway.

"Sakura. Are you okay? I heard you crying out."

"Kakashi." The relief in her voice was tangible. "I'm scared."

He came to her without being asked, and pulled her into his arms. His voice was soft, gentle. "Do you want me to stay with you?"

She nodded, pressing even closer to him. "If it's not too much trouble." She felt his laugh rumble deep inside him.

"You worry too much. Now, move over." He joined her under the heavy duvet, and pulled her close. She was wearing only a camisole and matching silk shorts. He wore cotton pajama bottoms. He'd had several fantasies start out this way.

_Control yourself. This is no time to act out Icha, Icha._

"What are you afraid of, Kakashi? You're never scared, are you?"

This was not a question he'd normally answer. But these were no ordinary circumstances. Still, he thought long and hard before he answered.He'd been afraid to love her, that was certainly his biggest fear. But the time wasn't right to tell her this. "You asked me about my mask the other day. Wearing it is a result of fear."

She turned to him, a questioning look on her face.

"I put it on for the first time the day I found out that my mother had died. I don't think you saw the memory of that. After my father... killed himself, she wanted me to abandon the _ninja _life. I was already _chunin _by then, and I had decided I had something to prove.

"How old were you?"

"Six. I wanted to redeem my family name. There was no way I was going to live as a civilian, and I told her that on no uncertain terms. I was already a jerk– completely disrespectful to her. My mother was devastated by my decision, although she tried to accept it. She pretended everything was okay, but I'd hear her crying at night. While I was away on a mission, she took her own life. When I returned, the neighbors were lying in wait for me. I was the number one story of the week, fodder for their gossip mill. I put on the mask because I didn't want them to have the pleasure of seeing me cry, of seeing me weak. And I've worn it since then for the same reason– out of simple fear of others seeing that I can be weak, out of frustration that I don't have total control over my emotions. Not because I'm handsome, not because of the bingo books, and not because I look just like my dad. At first I hated him for what he'd done, but after Obito died, I realized my dad had been a hero, as well. I'm proud that I look like him."

Sakura pushed his hair, unrestrained by the _hitae-ate_, back from Kakashi's eyes and looked deeply into them. "Who ever said you were a jerk?" She laughed softly, and then became serious, as she ran her fingers over his face, lightly touching his nose, his lips, his cheekbones. "Thank you for letting me see your face, Kakashi. It means even more to me now that I understand why you hide it." She gently kissed him, then slid against him to settle her head against his chest.

"Good night, Kakashi." He waited for her breathing to become shallow and even.

"Good night, love."


	20. Journey North fourth date

_Disclaimer: Naruto and associated characters are property of Masashi Kishimoto. They are not my property!_

**Fourteen Dates **

**Chapter 20–** **Journey North (fourth date)**

_Author's note: Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to review! I really appreciate it!_

"So where are we going?" It was the fourth time she'd asked the question this morning, and as before, the answer did not enlighten her. She increased her pace to keep up with the long strides of her former teacher.

"North."

"I kind of figured that, Kakashi. But where? Are we on a mission or not? I thought you were grounded for three weeks. Why won't you give me any details?"

"I told you it's a surprise."

"You are so annoying."

"Look who's talking. How many times have you asked me the same question? We're not even out of Konoha yet!"

He'd meant to get an early start on their trip, but so far in his career, that had never once happened. Today was no different. So much for good intentions. He'd risen early, as usual, paid a quick visit to the memorial stone, and then to Sakura's apartment. She'd need her pack, bedroll and a warm coat for the trip he'd planned, and he wanted to find out if she had certain other garments she'd require when they arrived at their destination. No such luck, he found, after rifling through her belongings. Apparently she wasn't much for tradition. He was glad he'd come to her place in her stead; she'd be furious if she saw the gaping holes that had been left in the walls and ceilings after removal of Takabishi's surveillance equipment. He had felt no qualms about waking up the apartment manager at the ungodly hour of six a.m. to demand that Sakura's apartment be repaired during her absence. It was the manager's fault, after all, that this had happened. He'd rented the neighboring apartment to Takabishi, and much worse could have transpired. After receiving assurances from a very cowed manager that indeed the apartment would be returned to a pristine condition in a matter of days, if only Sakura would not spread news of the unfortunate event she'd suffered (it would be bad for the complex's reputation, after all), Kakashi had returned to his apartment to find Sakura still dead to the world. When a soft, "Good morning, sleepy head," did nothing to rouse her, he had threatened cold water. She'd jumped out of bed in a hurry, growling and muttering.

Her mood had not improved greatly, he thought as he looked back over his shoulder at the _kunoichi _following him through Konoha's narrow streets. She was definitely not a morning person, and still barely awake despite consuming nearly an entire pot of coffee. He'd given her only the barest details of their trip over breakfast, which in her morning stupor she really didn't appreciate. Yes, the _miso _soup was made with instant _dashi_, but he'd picked up some broiled saury the night before, and what could make breakfast better than that? She'd turned her nose up at the fish, but polished off two bowls of rice with egg, and griped that there was no _ume-boshi_. As she slowly woke up, she'd begun to query him about the trip. He revealed very little, other than the trip would take two weeks.

"But what should I pack?" she'd asked.

"A _shinobi _is prepared for every eventuality, Sakura," had been his response.

"How long, then?"

"Two weeks." She'd flounced down the hall to gather her things. Kakashi had joined her in his room, sitting cross-legged on his bed, observing her actions. She really was amusing, he'd thought as he watched her rummage through her still-unpacked luggage, muttering obscenities, quickly assessing and rejecting candidate items for the trip. The items she did select were thrown haphazardly into the pack. At the very least, she was a speedy packer.

"Don't forget boots. We may run into some snow."

"So we're heading into the mountains? Is this trip what you were talking to Tsunade about last night?"

"We discussed it."

"So, it's a mission?"

Silence.

"Why won't you tell me?"

"I already did tell you. It's a surprise. Don't you know me well enough to understand that if I'm not telling you something, there must be a good reason?"

"Yes, but I also know you well enough to know that you're a bit of a sadist, Kakashi-_sensei_. You enjoy teasing people just a little too much."

"Hmm." Kakashi had picked up his copy of_ Icha, Icha Takutikusu_, and begun reading, then suddenly looked up. "I'm not your _sensei _anymore, Sakura."

"I'm well aware of that. So why are you acting like you are?"

"You called me that just now to piss me off, didn't you?"

"'A _shinobi _takes every opportunity.' Rule 60. _Sensei_." She'd picked up her pack and slung it to her shoulder. "Can we stop by Ino's and Sasuke's on our way?"

Kakashi had grimaced, but nodded. He and babies did not mix, and there were four too many of them at the Uchiha residence. Okay, not all of them were babies anymore, but what was the difference, really? Still sticky-handed and grubby-faced, oozing drool, mucus and other bodily substances. Hopefully this visit wouldn't take too long, he'd thought.

Of course, it had. Sakura had grabbed baby Uchiha right away, and sat down next to Kakashi as she cradled the child against her shoulder and rubbed her back. What was the point of that? Ah. A sound too loud to have arisen from such a small GI tract emanated from the infant, causing giggles all around. And something white was coming out of its mouth, Kakashi noticed as he snuck a peek at its face. Her face.

"Oh, do you want her?" Before he had a chance to demur, Sakura had deposited the child into his arms, which he had continued held out, frozen, before him. "Don't hold her like that, Kakashi. Pull her toward yourself, so she feels comforted." The baby's face had turned an alarming shade of red, but this quickly subsided as Kakashi mimicked the rocking, jiggling motion he'd seen Sakura doing.

Sakura had nodded in approval, then taken the opportunity to look for Ino's three other girls, promptly leaving the room.

_Don't leave me! _Kakashi panicked, as though he were holding a timed explosive device. He looked up at Ino in entreaty.

"She likes you," Ino had smiled, stretching, then looked down to see that her shirt was still unbuttoned. Kakashi looked away, a blush creeping to his cheeks. "Sorry, I was just finishing nursing when you two came in. Having these babies has totally destroyed any sense of modesty I once had."

"So, does she have a name yet?" _Ino? Modest? _He had nearly laughed.

"I'm pretty fond of 'Midori', but Sasuke wants to use a family name. He was so sure she was going to be a boy that he didn't even pick out any girls' names. I think it should be my choice by default, don't you?"

"Hmm." Best to be noncommittal. "Sakura!" Had she noticed the relief in his voice?

"Come here, baby." She'd scooped up the tiny Uchiha, who had fussed a bit at leaving Kakashi's arms, then focused on sucking her fingers. "I think you're still hungry, little one. Ino?"

"There's hardly any point in getting dressed. All this one wants to do is eat." Ino had settled the child against her breast, and discretely unbuttoned her shirt again.

"Sakura," Kakashi had said, fixing his eyes on a particularly interesting scroll that hung in the _tokonoma_, "we really should be going. We've got quite a distance to cover today."

"Do we? You should have said something, Kakashi." Sakura had then smiled that dangerous smile Kakashi had seen fairly frequently lately. "Ino, is there anything we can do for you before we leave?"

"Oh, no. Sasuke is pretty much my dogsbody lately."

_How far we've fallen, Uchiha._

He'd finally persuaded Sakura to leave, and now they walked quickly through the village. They were almost halfway to the Konoha gates when they were waylaid by a certain orange-clad jounin.

"Naruto! When did you get back into town?" Sakura nearly tackled him with her hug.

"Just now. _Ero-sannin _had an errand that couldn't wait. We're only here for the day, though."

"Have you seen Hinata yet?" Sakura looked meaningfully at Kakashi as she said this.

Naruto blushed. "I'm on my way over there, now. Want to get lunch later?"

"Can't. We're heading out. We're late, in fact." Kakashi was blunt, as usual, though he tried to hide his irritation. Would they be crossing paths with every friend and acquaintance before they made it out of town?

"When has that ever bothered you before?" Naruto grinned cheerily, then remembered where he had been headed, and blushed brightly. "Well, gotta go. See you guys soon! Jiraiyasays I'm almost done with this phase of training." He rushed off toward the wealthy quarter of town and the palatial residence of the Hyuuga family.

"So what about our bet? How will we know if he's passionately kissed Hinata?"

"Come with me." They headed toward the commercial part of town, and entered the dimly lit Dulled Kunai.

"I had no idea this place was open this early."

"Never closes." Genma lay sprawled on a padded bench. Kakashi raised the glass of water which still sat on the table (along with a large number of empty sake bowls) and gently poured it on the examiner's face.

"Baby, I told you I don't like that." Genma murmured, eyes still closed.

"Since when do your needs come first?" Genma's eyes opened wide at the sound of Kakashi's low voice

"Oh, it's you. Damn it, Kakashi, I was having the most incredible dream. Why'd you have to ruin it?"

"I take it things didn't go so well last night? You know, you seem to wake up here fairly often."

Genma scowled as he moved into a sitting position and ran a hand through his caramel-brown hair. "These incredibly luscious twins walked in last night– I'd never seen them before. They were mine, I could totally feel how into me they were, but Gai– oh, hi, Sakura."

"Hi, Genma." Sakura decided to ignore the fact that the eyes of the Konoha casanova were fastened not on her face, but several inches below. "I was wondering if you could do us a favor."

"Anything for you, Sakura." He looked at Kakashi and winked. "Speaking of luscious twins," he said softly, hoping only the copy ninja would hear.

Sakura chose to ignore the remark and smiled sweetly, resting her hand on the table and leaning forward a bit, to give Genma a slightly better view of _her _twins. She didn't notice Kakashi frowning. "Could you keep an eye on Naruto? Let us know if anything develops between him and Hinata? But don't say anything to either of them."

"Naruto? Sure. Didn't realize he was back in town. Hinata, huh? So he finally clued in. I'm guessing you want me to stalk them. Sounds like fun."

"Great. Let's go, Sakura," said Kakashi, abruptly grabbing her elbow and steering her out of the bar.

"We need to revise the terms of the bet. The wager said he'd be kissing her within a week of his return, but he's only going to be in town for one day."

"I guess he'd better kiss her today, then." Kakashi's voice revealed the devilish smile on his face.

"That is totally unfair."

"Life is unfair."

"How profound, Kakashi." They made it to the gates of the town and Sakura noticed Kakashi relax visibly. "It really doesn't matter, anyway. I have no doubt that they're passionately kissing right now, assuming Hinata's dad isn't around."

"Then you have nothing to worry about." Kakashi chuckled to himself. He was so looking forward to having Sakura read the rest of _Icha, Icha Takutikusu _to him.

"Your pack looks really heavy. Care to explain why? You usually travel light."

Kakashi ignored her, choosing to bury his nose in his novel instead. He could almost hear her voice reading in that innocent, yet so sexy voice she unwittingly used.

...o...o...o...o...

"This looks like as good a place as any." Kakashi set his pack down near the center of the clearing, then stretched his back and groaned.

"Finally." Sakura sighed. Her feet were cold and sore– she should have worn boots from the start. She hadn't reckoned on running through the canopy for six hours, stopping only for water and bathroom breaks, and she hadn't considered the difference in temperature between Konoha and the Shiroi Mountains. At least she'd had the sense to dig out her coat during the paltry two-minute break Kakashi had allowed a few hours back. "I didn't think it would be so cold up here."

Kakashi seemed unperturbed by the cold, but there was little that did perturb him. "Generally, you can count on a drop of about a degree for about every 60 meters increase in elevation. Even in the summer."

"How high up are we?"

"About 700 meters above sea level. It's almost freezing." Kakashi idly kicked a patch of ice-crusted snow that remained in the shadow of a large rock, then looked up at the patch of white sky visible though the densely clustered trees. "We'll need shelter– I think it's going to snow tonight."

"Well, where do you want to set up the tent?"

"What tent?"

"Your pack is stuffed to the gills, yet you didn't bring a tent?"

"Why would we need a tent?" Kakashi looked at her incredulously. "We can just build a lean-to. Or better yet..." He started walking toward a large fir tree. Its dense branches touched the ground. He pulled a bough aside, and gestured to Sakura. "One shelter, ready made."

It wasn't any warmer under the fir tree, but there was no wind, and it was very dry, as the branches formed an impenetrable roof above them. Better still, the ground was cushioned with a deep layer of needles. Sakura unstrapped her bedroll from her pack and lay it on the southern side of the tree trunk, after inspecting the ground for sticky tree sap. The ground should be slightly warmer there.

She left their makeshift shelter and joined Kakashi in the clearing. "Why don't you gather wood, start a fire and make the rice? He gestured to the kitchen implements he'd set on the large boulder. "I"ll catch dinner"

"We're not having cup ramen?"

"Sorry to disappoint you." Kakashi grabbed a mesh bag from his pack and headed into the forest, toward the sound of running water.

"If I never saw cup ramen again, it would be too soon."

"Don't say that to Naruto!" he called over his shoulder.

Sakura had no trouble finding dry kindling and a fallen tree which she quickly chopped into manageable hunks and carried back to the clearing. After digging out a depression, she piled the kindling and logs into a pyramid, then hurried in the direction she'd seen Kakashi go, in search of water. She came upon the man standing knee-deep in the small river, concentrating as he looked into the rushing water. Suddenly, he became a blur as he snapped down and then up again Sakura saw a struggling trout in his hand, which he quickly added to the half-submerged bag he'd tethered to a rock.

"I didn't know you were part bear." He turned to her and smiled.

You're one to talk, _onna no kuma_."

Sakura's mouth gaped. "Where did you hear that?"

"I've been to that damn hospital enough times to hear all of your nicknames, Sakura. Probably even a few you don't know about."

Sakura blushed. "They really hate me."

"They're not supposed to be your friends. And I don't think they hate you. They're scared of you. A little fear is often a good thing among subordinates, you know." He winked at her.

Sakura crouched to fill the saucepan she carried with water. "Was that your teaching philosophy?"

"Maybe."

"The sight of you reading those books pretty much destroyed any fear we might have had of you. On the first day."

"Oh."

"So is that technique the same one as you use to drink with the mask on?"

"Uh-huh."

"I'm not surprised that you'd find multiple uses for it. But, aren't you cold?"

"Mind over matter." He made his way to the bank and gave an involuntary shiver, then laughed. "Yes, I guess I am a bit cold."

"Take off your pants."

Kakashi blinked. "If you insist."

"_Baka_. Dry your legs off with the upper half. I'll start the fire." She turned and walked off quickly with the half-filled pot.

Kakashi returned to a crackling fire and the sight of Sakura reading his _Icha, Icha, _a smile on her face. With a disarming lack of modesty, he warmed his legs by the fire, then searched in his pack for dry clothes. "You can start scaling the fish, Sakura." He pulled on his pants, re-wrapped his upper leg and attached his kunai holster.

"I think not. You said you were in charge of dinner. I won't want to eat them if I have to scale them." Sakura grimaced.

"I said I was _catching _dinner. I never said anything about preparing it." She shrugged. "Well then, you'll take clean up." She nodded. "And breakfast."

"You're pushing it, Hatake."

He smiled as he grabbed the book from her, then made his way to a nearby rock, where he pulled out a kunai and set to work. He grabbed several long sticks from the pile of kindling, sharpening each to a point, then setting them aside, to take up the fish in their place. Small, iridescent ovals fluttered to the ground as he ran the kunai against their skin, sparkling in the glow of the firelight. He impaled each fish through the mouth with a sharpened stick, then propped the fish around the fire at an angle. They would cook quickly.

"Rice should be done in about ten more minutes."

"Perfect. Did you make enough for tomorrow?"

"Depends how hungry you are– it will be no trouble to make more. Are you planning on eating all of those fish tonight?"

"No, I thought we'd tree whatever's left, and save it for breakfast. Not quite saury, but good enough."

"Just what is so great about saury? It's just fish."

"What's so great about tempura?"

"Never mind. Stupid question. There's a world of difference to me between sushi and sashimi and fish on the bone. I can't stand to look at saury first thing in the morning. It looks like it's still alive. I would starve if I had to hunt and butcher my own food." Sakura rolled her eyes. "Typical girl, huh?"

Kakashi turned the fish slightly, to expose their still-raw reverse, and chuckled softly. "You're a medic, Sakura. Blood and guts shouldn't make you squeamish."

"You'd think that, wouldn't you? Human guts don't. But fish are different– I have to eat them." Sakura gave a theatrical shudder.

"Interesting reasoning." Kakashi smiled. "But you wouldn't starve, Sakura. You're tougher than you give yourself credit for. And no, you are most definitely not a typical girl." Sakura smiled at the compliment.

"How so?"

Kakashi didn't answer immediately, turning his attention to the rice instead, which he removed from the fire. He emptied most of the contents of his canteen into a kettle and placed it on the flat rock which served as a hob, then removed his mask to drink the rest. "How so," he finally said. "Well, first of all, you're not a girl. And how many women can punch a tree into splinters? What else. You're smarter than almost anyone else I've met. Do I need to go on? It's not like you to fish for compliments, Sakura."

"I can count the number of compliments you've ever given me on the fingers of one hand, Kakashi. You're such a hard ass." She began to scoop rice into the lightweight, laminated bamboo bowls that were part of the mess kit.

"Thanks for noticing." He grinned, ducking to avoid her punch, and quickly moved away from her, to the other side of the fire pit. He busied himself with pulling the fish from the fire, using a kunai to slide the fish off each stake. "Pass me the bowls, please," he said as he dislodged the first. "Do you want one or two?"

"One, I guess," Sakura said, wrinkling her nose.

"Don't insult my cooking, Sakura, or I'll send you to bed without supper," Kakashi growled.

"Stop it."

"Stop what?"

"Stop treating me like a _genin_."

"I was joking, Sakura."

"I'm not laughing. Don't patronize me."

"Happy to pissed in 2.5 seconds. Remarkable," Kakashi muttered under his breath.

"What?"

"Nothing." They ate in silence for the next few minutes.

"Kakashi?"

"Mmmph?" He'd just shoveled a rather large portion of rice into his mouth.

"What is it with men and breasts?"

Kakashi choked, then coughed violently, spraying rice into the fire, where it popped and crackled. He reached for his canteen, but it was empty. Sakura quickly passed him hers. After a minute or two, the coughing subsided, and Kakashi spoke.

"What exactly do you mean?" He was clearly flustered, though it was unclear whether this was from the question Sakura posed or the coughing it had provoked.

"Why is it the thing that men focus on first?"

"I don't think that's necessarily true."

"Today when we talked to Genma, he never once looked at my face."

"But you egged him on a bit, didn't you?" So he'd noticed that. Sakura noticed he wasn't smiling. Why should he care?

"And I saw you looking at Ino today."

"I think you saw me trying quite hard _not _to look at Ino. A difficult task, I might add. She could feed a small village, after all."

It was Sakura's turn to choke on her food. "Excuse me?"

Kakashi smirked. "I seem to remember you saying that to me."

"I thought you were unconscious at the time. It's true, though. You'd need a wide-angle lens to photograph her right now." She turned and looked at him searchingly. "What else do you remember?"

"Bits and pieces. You have a lovely reading voice." The sun had long since set, but Sakura's blush was visible, even in the orange glow of the firelight. "But back to your question. Men are attracted to breasts because they're a highly visible female attribute, because they feel nice, and because they're typically pretty responsive." He'd switched into teacher mode, his voice dry, his manner cool and objective.

"But why are men so fixated on big breasts?" She grabbed the copy of _Icha, Icha _and paged through it, holding it up to show each illustration. "Every single woman in this book has bodacious tatas, Kakashi. Even bigger than Ino's."

"Are your hands clean, Sakura?" He grabbed the book from her possessively, and stowed it in his _kunai _pouch. "The big breasts are a kind of shorthand, a not too subtle way of announcing female sexuality. Plus, you have to consider who drew those pictures. Did you notice that every woman in that book looks just like Tsunade? The hair color may change, but everything else is the same. I'd guess Jiraiya was thinking about her the entire time he was writing that book. Not all of his books feature 'bodacious tatas' so prominently, Sakura. His relationship with Tsunade seems to be on again, off again, and the books reflect that. And just for the record, most men don't find the sight of a lactating woman to be a turn on."

"Oh."

"Big breasts aren't everything, Sakura– some men can actually tell that a woman is in the room without so obvious an announcement. There's a lot more to a woman than breasts." He stood and handed Sakura his plate. "Clean up is yours. I'm going to read for a while. Then I'll take the first watch." He grabbed a flashlight and loped off to their makeshift shelter.

Kakashi unrolled his bedroll, then sat on it, leaning his back against the fir tree.

_Where did that question come from? _

She hadn't been trying to fluster him– her follow-up questions had been too earnest. It was clear she felt inadequate, and that wasn't too surprising, considering the people she surrounded herself with were all well-endowed, even Hinata.

_She really doesn't see just how beautiful she is._

And he'd played the teacher, a role he was dying to recast. She'd made it clear, on several occasions now, that she didn't appreciate being treated like a child, but he kept slipping back into that mode. He wasn't her teacher– he wanted to be much more. Her friend, her lover. Her only.

If it had been two or three days from now, he would have answered her differently, said something to make her see that she was fine– more than fine– as is. It was growing increasingly frustrating to have her within arms reach yet still off-limits. But she still hadn't picked up on his not-so-subtle hints. She hadn't noticed the wink and shove Genma had given him earlier, nor the look Naruto had cast his way. Hell, even Tsunade had noticed the way he looked at her student. Sakura wasn't dense. Why hadn't she noticed, then?

_Maybe she's not interested._

It couldn't be that, could it? She blushed when he made suggestive comments, and he'd seen her cast glances at him that seemed less than innocent.

_Innocent. Maybe she hasn't been on the receiving end of attention like this._

No. That couldn't be true. She'd been with Sasuke, after all. But, Sasuke was... a bit of a cold fish. It was hard to tell that he and Ino were married, at times, apart from the plethora of children they'd produced. And Sakura had said, long ago, that he never really loved her– he'd just wanted to get on with the business of reviving his clan. Kakashi smirked. He couldn't see Sasuke wooing anyone. Tender, loving words were foreign to him.

And whom else had Sakura been with? On her infrequent trips to the Dulled Kunai she drew the attention of every man in the room, and quickly, drinks would be sent her way. She typically sent them back, he'd noticed. Apparently, she never dated, never even involved herself in harmless flirting. That meant her base of experience was limited.

"I can take first watch, Kakashi." He looked up to see that she'd entered the shelter.

"No, I'll wake you up in a few hours. Get some sleep. We've got a long hike tomorrow."

"When will you tell me where we're going?" She folded down her bedroll, and climbed in, still wearing her coat.

"In due time. Are you cold?"

"I'll be all right."

Kakashi left to sit by the fire, and noticed Sakura had already suspended the bag of leftover fish from a nearby tree. She'd banked the fire, too. Kakashi grabbed one of the sticks he'd used to cook dinner, and poked at the embers until they flared up, then added a log to the fire.

There was no place he'd rather be, he realized. The woods were his true home– interesting that a village boy would feel that way, he thought, but nonetheless, it was true. And Sakura, for all her griping about fishing and hunting, felt the same way. She'd said so many times in the past, and he could see it in her eyes, and in the way she moved through the forest. But it wouldn't matter where he was. The reason for his happiness was the fact that she was with him.

He'd teased her too much, today, but there was no way he was going to tell her where they were headed. Perhaps he'd steer her off track tomorrow, drop a few hints to mislead her about their destination. But he'd try to be a bit more patient with her, too. He stayed by the fire until the snow started to fall– scattered flakes at first, then thick, wet clumps. Better to do his watch from the confines of the shelter. He banked the fire again and let his eye adjust to the darkness around him.

He noticed her shaking as he moved aside the bough that served as tent flap.

_Is she crying?_

"Sakura? Is everything okay?"

"I'm fine. Just cold."

"Why didn't you get me?"

"I thought about it, but you looked so peaceful that I didn't want to bother you."

"Get up." She did so, and he quickly carried her bedding over to his and remade the pallet using all of the blankets. "These are cotton, Sakura. No wonder you're freezing."

"That's my summer bedroll."

_Summer bedroll? Who has a summer bedroll?_ "Ah." He'd grabbed the wrong one when he'd stopped by her place. "We'll share. You're okay with that, aren't you?"

"Why wouldn't I be? I've already invaded your apartment, your bedroom, all other aspects of your personal space. Why should this be any different?"

"Have I given you the impression that I mind?"

"No. But I know you value your privacy, and I've certainly infringed on it." She climbed into the bedroll, and he quickly followed, pulling her close to him.

"Your hands are freezing." He rubbed them with his own, then placed them under his shirt. "Sakura, I actually like your company."

"That's a good thing, since Tsunade has you baby-sitting me."

"Is that what you think?" She felt his smile warm her. "Actually, Sakura, this trip was my idea."

"Really?" She snuggled in closer to him, then raised her head slightly, to look into his eyes. "So where are we going?"


	21. Barbecue and Transparent Cotton Jersey

_Disclaimer: Naruto and associated characters are property of Masashi Kishimoto. They are not my property!_

**Fourteen Dates **

_Author's note: At the request of several reviewers, I am omitting italics for Japanese terms. My inner English teacher is very upset at this, but up to now she has managed to live with the many incomplete sentences and other grammatical errors I have (purposefully or not) included, so I am hoping she will be able to cope and not induce a writers' block or other nastiness. Hope this makes for easier reading. I will also be including a glossary of any new Japanese terms. This chapter is rated M for sex dreams (poor, perverted Kakashi! When will he be loved?), so be warned. Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to review. I'm heartened to see that you are enjoying the story, and it has the added benefit of making me write faster!_

**Chapter 21– Barbecue and Transparent Cotton Jersey (fifth date)**

_He felt her curled around him, naked as the day she was born, her skin silken against his chest. "Kakashi," she purred, "is this what you want?" He groaned as she pressed her lips against his jaw, then moved lower to caress his neck and chest. Still lower. "Sakura..." "Yes?" "What exactly are you doing?" "I'm giving you what you want. This is what you want, isn't it?" He murmured his assent as her warm hand grasped him and stroked ever so gently along his length. "Do you mind if I taste you?" He couldn't answer, only moan with desire–_

"You smell so nice." Kakashi blinked his eyes. What the hell was Sakura doing on top of him? Kakashi struggled to separate the vivid dream he'd just left from the even more vivid reality of the beautiful kunoichi who had apparently decided that the very best place to sleep was pressed flat against him. No, she was straddling him, he realized, as he gingerly moved his hands along her body.And moving ever so slightly against him. This was probably the cause of the very large and painful erection that was making itself known to him. But she definitely was not awake. She was dead to the world, as usual for this time of day. And apparently dreaming. Her eyes moved rapidly back and forth under their lids.

"Mmm. So good."

Just what was she dreaming about? Something very nice, from the sound of her voice and the small smile on her lips.

"Kakashi." His name rolled off her lips effortlessly, luxuriantly. The woman was just too damn sensual.

_Is she really dreaming about me?_

Tentatively, Kakashi lifted her hair and lightly ran his finger along the nape of her neck. A small moan of pleasure was his reward. It would be so easy. They'd both slept fully clothed, but clothing choices of shinobi were typically of the stretchy, knit variety, allowing for full range of movement and, as an added benefit, easy disrobing. Kakashi's standard issue navy-blue pants and Sakura's skirt/training shorts (why was she wearing shorts in this weather, anyway?) were no exception to this pattern. Two quick movements, and he could be living his recent dreams.

But that would be wrong. No, not because he was her (former!) teacher, and not because he was 14 years her senior. He really couldn't give a rat's ass what people said, and he was sure enough of his feelings for her that he knew that he wouldn't be using her. If– no, _when _they consummated, he would have no regrets. No, it would be wrong because she hadn't yet consented, despite saying his name so passionately, and just as importantly, because he wasn't sure how she really felt about him. Whenever they did get together, it was not going to be a mindless romp in the hay.

That didn't mean he couldn't enjoy the moment, however. He lay back and concentrated on the feeling of her body against him, on the warm hands which had somehow come to rest on his chest, and now touched him lightly. How was it possible that Sakura, completely asleep, aroused him more thoroughly than any other woman he'd met, awake or otherwise?

"I want you." Her words were soft. To Kakashi, those three words had never sounded so alluring. She wanted him. This was really more than he could have asked for. On the subconscious level, at least, she had thoughts of him. But what about the conscious level? Ones dreams did not always reflect conscious thought. They were sometimes just random thoughts strung together, detritus from the previous day, or responses to sensations felt while sleeping. Dreams often had little to do with reality– Sakura might feel completely different once awake. There was also a good chance she'd awake without even being aware of this dream.

But not if he had anything to say about it. He wanted her to remember how she'd acted toward him in her dream. He wanted her to reflect on it. Perhaps it would crystallize her understanding of what their relationship could be– perhaps she'd suddenly notice all the clues he'd left lying around in quite obvious places. Kakashi thought about his options. He could leave her as is and let her sleep cycle continue– but then she might not remember the dream. He could wake her gently with concern about the "nightmare" she was having. But there was no way she'd fail to notice his arousal– and that would be uncomfortable for both of them. Surely she didn't need to see such a blatant representation of his desire for her. She responded much better to subtlety, he thought. Kakashi suddenly came up with a better idea, and gently moved her off his body onto the blankets next to him. He pulled one blanket up and tucked it in around her. Sakura was still sleeping soundly, he noticed.

"Kiss me. Please."

Kakashi threw caution to the wind and kissed her gently on the lips.

"Make love to me, Kakashi," she murmured, before rolling over and sighing.

Kakashi's eyes widened for a moment, and for just a minute he considered staying where he was to watch the dream play itself out. But only for a minute– helping her see her attraction was much more important than idle titillation. He smirked as he left the shelter, only to return, moments later, with a flattened snowball in his hand. He rolled her onto her back, then placed the ball of frozen water on the blanket, just over her abdomen. She'd have about ten minutes to finish her dream before melting water awakened her. He'd have plenty of time to take care of his...needs and get the day started. The grumpy mood that would undoubtedly ensue upon Sakura's awakening was a price he was very willing to pay.

Kakashi was kneeling by the stream, shaving, when he heard her scream his name at the top of her lungs. And not in a sensual way, either.

"I am going to kill you, Hatake Kakashi!"

"Can I finish shaving before you begin?" His voice was calm. He could predict her behavior fairly accurately, it seemed.

She stared at him, then broke into a laugh as she drew closer. "You shave with a kunai?" The sight of him scraping the weapon across his skin was unexpected, yet completely in character.

"Looks that way." He rinsed his face and smiled at her, then looked critically at his reflection in a small metal shaving mirror. "I take it my makeshift alarm clock worked?"

"Yes. You interrupted my dream."

"Oh?" He watched as her face burned red. He ran his fingers through his hair, grabbed a hunk, and began to saw at it with the kunai.

"This explains so much." She shook her head. "Do you need any help with that?"

"No, I'm sure you'd feel the need to pay me back. I might end up bald. Or even worse, you might make it neat and symmetrical."

"Couldn't have that."

"It would ruin my image." This elicited a rather unladylike snort. "I seem to remember you cutting your hair in a similar fashion, years ago. Maybe I picked up the habit from you."

"You weren't there, remember? You were training Sasuke."

"Ah." He continued cutting his hair. "Wish I had been." Then, "Shouldn't you be making my breakfast, Sakura?"

She was quiet through the morning meal, though Kakashi noticed several sidelong glances in his direction. She cleaned up silently, as well, not even pausing to bicker about whose turn it was. He knelt down beside her at the river's edge as she stared into space, unwashed dishes before her.

"Need any help?"

"No, I'm almost done. Isn't your nose supposed to be stuck inside a book?"

"Plenty of time for that later. Sakura," he placed his hand on her shoulder, feeling her tense up slightly as he did so, "are you okay? You seem... subdued."

"You know how I am in the morning. It takes me a while to get in gear."

"Well, let me know if I can help. I'm a pretty good listener, you know." Kakashi stood and walked away, his broad smile hidden by his mask.

...o...o...o...o...

"We'll be approaching a town in the next twenty minutes or so. Care to get lunch?"

"At a real restaurant? Yes!" Her mood had brightened, he noticed, and she no longer seemed distracted.

"We'll need to go as civilians, so get changed. No visible weapons." Kakashi walked off into the woods, pack in hand. He emerged a good ten minutes later looking substantially different. He was in jeans and a worn bomber jacket, partially unzipped to show a crimson turtleneck. This was surprising, as Sakura hadn't seen any brightly colored shirts when she'd gone through his closet. She hadn't checked his dresser, though. Even more surprising was the fact that his hair was no longer silver. He'd removed the mask and hitae-ate, and swept his now-black hair into some semblance of order. Sakura looked closely at him. His visible eye was a pale, crystalline blue, and he wore a white, poorly-taped cotton eyepatch over the Sharingan, as though he'd scratched his cornea. The scar, she noticed, was gone, but otherwise his face was the same, handsome as ever.

_Stop looking at him like that. It was only a dream_. _Dreams don't mean anything, Sakura. You were sleeping right beside him. Of course you dreamt of him. And who wouldn't? He's beautiful, after all._

"Something wrong?" he said, noticing her stare.

"Nothing. It's just..." She looked away from him, then back again.

"Just what?"

"I wasn't expecting you to wear a disguise." She looked away again, slightly disconcerted.

"I'd hardly call this a disguise, Sakura. It's just a change in pigmentation. Simple henge no jutsu. I'll release it as soon as we leave the town."

"I prefer your natural pigment."

Kakashi smiled. "Too Sasuke-like for you?"

"No, it's not that. It's just a little unsettling. Like getting up in the middle of the night after moving all of your furniture around. I keep expecting to see the Kakashi I know, but you're not there."

_Apparently, she's somewhat attached to the way you look. A good sign, don't you think?_

"This way we can actually eat together in public. You wouldn't want me to get drunk again, would you?"

"You can't eat with silver hair?"

"One advantage of wearing the mask for all these years is that the drawings of me in the bingo books are pretty lousy. I've seen the books from a couple of villages. They get the hair right, and the scar, but that's about it. I'd stick out like a sore thumb if I were to walk into the town unmasked, and as you know, word travels fast and most people are capable of putting two and two together. I'd rather keep my anonymity."

"What about the eye color? Did the bingo books mention that?"

"The drawings were black and white."

"Well, could you change that back at least?"

_Very attached. _

Kakashi nodded, and partially released the jutsu. Dark grey pigment spread out slowly from his pupil until his eye took on its natural color.

Sakura smiled in thanks. "You look nice, by the way. I should have said that before."

"So do you, Sakura. Very nice." He paused to cast his glance up and down her petite form, and did his best not to linger at her hips or breasts. She looked quite enticing in the black, pleated skirt that hit somewhere around mid-thigh, tall black leather boots and the white, long-sleeved t-shirt she wore. To his dismay, she quickly covered up with her coat. It was still cold, after all. "Shall we go?" he said reluctantly.

"Why don't you just use henge to hide your Sharingan? Why bother with an eyepatch?"

"Because the Sharingan drains chakra as long as it's uncovered, remember? The scar figures pretty prominently in the bingo books, so I think this is a pretty good compromise."

"Let me redo the patch. You really didn't do a very good job putting it on." She reached in her bag for white adhesive tape and a scissor and quickly fixed him up. "At least your face is the same. Almost. You know every girl in town is going to ask you about your eye." She batted her lashes at him.

Kakashi sighed and did his best to look beatific. "That's a price I'm willing to pay to be able to dine with you, Sakura."

"I think you just want to get some food in your stomach."

"That too. Dining alone all the time sucks."

"Really? I thought you were a loner."

"I am a loner. That doesn't mean I want to be alone. At least, not all of the time."

They walked in a comfortable silence for a while, glad of their boots in the melting snow.

"I do like you better with your silver hair."

"Why?"

"What do you mean, 'Why?' Don't _you _like it?"

"I hated it as a child, first because it made me stand out, and then because it marked me as my father's son. But after I grew up a bit I was glad to have it. Though it does make me look old."

"That's not the hair, Kakashi." Sakura looked away as she bit her lip.

"Well, at least you're not grumpy. That's something, I guess." Kakashi rolled his eye heavenward. "You didn't answer my question."

"Oh." She'd hoped to avoid it all together. "Why do I like your silver hair better? Hmm. Because..." She stopped walking as she tried to put words to her thoughts. "Because it's part of who you are, I guess." She quickly looked away as she noticed his eye on her. "I'm starving! Are you hungry for barbecue?"

...o...o...o...o...

She was beginning to understand Choji's insatiable passion for yakiniku. There was something about grilled beef that satisfied some hidden, primal urge. Sakura added thin slices of beef to the brazier centered in the stainless steel table and inhaled the smoky aroma the meat gave off as it sizzled.

"Kimchi?"

"No, too spicy. I'll stick with the winter squash." Sakura pulled a slice of beef from the grill and dipped it into a bowl of garlic and scallion-flavored tare. She chewed slowly, a smile of complete satisfaction on her face. "How can meat taste this good?"

Kakashi decided against the obvious rejoinder, and focused on his lunch. Sakura seemed oblivious to the double meaning of her comment.

_She really is innocent. How is that possible for a twenty-four-year-old kunoichi?_

_How is it possible that you're completely gaga? Get back some self-control, Hatake!_

He'd need to break out _Icha, Icha_, this afternoon, and practice steady disinterest in the face of graphic sex. For hours, most likely. He poured himself some tea, and refilled Sakura's cup.

"Kakashi? Are you listening?"

"Hmm?"

"I know where we're going!"

"Do you."

"To the coast!"

"I don't remember telling you to pack a bathing suit."

"But you did say I should be prepared for every eventuality. So I brought one along."

Great. Now an image of Sakura in a very skimpy bikini (black, of course) was flitting through his mind. He reached in his pack for his book and opened it to a random page. Best to start practicing right now, he thought.

"Is that your only supporting evidence? By that logic we could be going to Sand or Rock Country, or anywhere." His was voice was dry, but amused.

"No. Tsunade got a message from the Wave Country recently."

"What did it say?"

"I don't know. I don't read her mail. So what's the mission?"

"Sakura, I thought we were done with this game. You'll find out soon enough. Just be patient. Please."

"Fine." Her brow furrowed as she stood to leave the table. "Will you be ready to go when I get back from the restroom?"

"Mmm." He didn't bother looking up.

The bathroom was cleaner than she expected for a small-town restaurant, but the plumbing was ancient. She hated those traditional-style toilets, too, ever since Ino had pushed her in one, long ago. It really was easy to fall in. And the long, trough-style sink was unhygienic, in her opinion. Instead of trapping germs in one sink, they'd be spread the entire distance of the trough. Sakura looked up from washing her hands when she heard a soft sound. She'd thought she was alone in the room, but she definitely heard a child crying. She pushed open the stall doors until she came upon a little girl, no older than three or four, with dark curly hair and matching black eyes.

"I need my mommy."

"Honey? Where is she?" Sakura knelt outside the stall and gestured to the girl.

"I'm old enough to come in here myself. But now I feel sick."

"Let's go find her. I'm sure she's right outside."

"Okay." The raven-haired girl moved toward her, then vomited all over the front of Sakura's shirt.

"Don't cry, sweetheart. It's okay. Everyone throws up sometimes."

"Michiko! There you are!" A woman who was obviously the young girl's mother came racing into the bathroom, slamming the door wide open as she did so. "What have I told you about walking off?" She turned to Sakura accusingly. "Why is my daughter crying? What did you do to her?"

"Excuse me, but she came in here to be sick. As you can tell." Sakura turned to show the woman her foul-smelling shirt, then stood and walked calmly to the sink. "I understand why you're upset, though. I'd feel the same way if I were in your place."

"Gomen, miss. I jumped to conclusions. Can I help you get cleaned up?"

"No, your daughter needs you. In my line of work, this is nothing."

The woman looked at her questioningly.

"I'm a ... nurse." Villagers outside of Konoha tended not to react well to the word, "medic." Somehow it frightened them to think of injured shinobi.

"Do you know what might be wrong with my daughter?"

"It's hard to tell. Has she thrown up before now? Does she has a fever? Did she eat anything unusual?"

"She's a little warm."

"Keep an eye on her and give her plenty of liquids. No willow-bark, though, in case it's flu."

The woman smiled at her, helped her daughter rinse out her mouth and quickly left. Sakura turned to the age-spotted mirror and inspected herself. She pulled the ruined shirt off as cleanly as possible and threw it into the long trough. Great. Her bindings were soaked through, as well. She'd focus on the shirt first. Bar soap wouldn't do much to get it clean, but she wouldn't be wearing it long– just until she caught Kakashi's attention and had him bring her pack.

She quickly removed her bindings, throwing them into the trash, and tugged the now wet shirt over her head. She opened the restroom door and tried to catch her former teacher's eye. This was difficult to do while covering her chest with her arms, but she tried valiantly.

Kakashi didn't notice immediately. It wasn't until the room grew strangely quiet that he looked up to see her waving at him, quite enthusiastically, in her formerly white t-shirt. It was now a wet, transparent shirt that clung to her frame, showing off her body's every curve. That explained the silence. He wouldn't be rising from the table for quite some time, but he probably wasn't the only one faced with that problem. She'd managed to get the attention of every man in the restaurant.

Her wave wasn't really enthusiastic, he realized. That had been the shirt talking. She was beckoning to him rather frantically, he saw. Exasperatedly. Kakashi raised his eyebrows questioningly, as she pointed next to him, then to herself, again and again. She wanted her pack, he realized belatedly. But he certainly wasn't going to bring it to her. Not in his current condition.

Finally, she rushed over to him (across the length of the rather busy restaurant, as their table was placed inconveniently far from the restrooms), grabbed the pack and carried it in front of her to the restroom, to the accompaniment of several loud catcalls. Her eyes had very clearly said, "You will pay for this, Kakashi."

She returned a good twenty minutes later, still fuming. He'd calmed himself down and paid the bill in that time, which spared her the indignity of remaining in the ryoriya to endure the lustful stares of the male customers and the baleful stares of their companiions. She walked past the table she'd shared with Kakashi, grabbed her coat, and hurried outside. She was halfway down the main street by the time Kakashi caught her and grabbed her. She yanked her arm from his, shoved him and walked on.

"Sakura. I'm sorry."

She ignored him.

"Honestly, I didn't know what you wanted." Not quite true, but what was he supposed to say? _I didn't want the whole restaurant to see how turned on I was by you. You understand, don't you?_

"I'm standing there in a soaking wet shirt and you couldn't figure out what I wanted? Baka." She spat out the words. "What does this generally mean, Kakashi?" She pointed, then motioned to herself. "It means, 'Bring me _that_.' But you were too busy gaping at my chest to notice anything else."

"If it makes you feel any better, so was everyone else."

Sakura's mouth gaped. "How– How could you think that would make me feel any better? My– my _friend _is a pervert, but hey, so is everyone else. Do you really think I would want to display myself practically naked _in public_?" Tears welled up in her eyes as she walked away hurriedly.

"Please, Sakura." He intercepted her again. "We're not even traveling in the right direction. Would you stop or at least slow down?"

She paused, hands on her hips. "Of course I don't know the right direction, because I still don't have a clue where we're headed!" She was very nearly screaming.

"Kuso." Kakashi almost never used profanity, but she'd pushed him to his limit. He grabbed Sakura roughly and pinned her arms to her side. "Listen to me, Sakura! Calm down and listen." He felt her stiffen for a moment, then relax as she recognized the futility of running away. "We can talk about this now, in public, and make things even more humiliating for you, or we can talk in private. What's your choice?"

"Private." Her voice was a choked whisper.

"Come on, then." They backtracked until they found the town gates, then walked quietly into the relative quiet of the woods.

Kakashi sat down, leaning against a red cedar, and patted the ground next to him. "Sit."

"We've been over this, Kakashi. I am not one of your damn dogs. And I don't think even Pakkun would obey you if you talked to him like that, so why do you think you can talk to me that way?" She furiously brushed tears away. She hated to let him see her cry.

Kakashi rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed. "Please, Sakura. Do you really believe that I think of you that way?"

"What way _do _you think of me, Kakashi?"

Kakashi sighed again and released the jutsu controlling his appearance. "Please sit next to me, and I'll tell you."

Sakura sat as far from his as she could while still being ostensibly "by his side." She turned to him expectantly, and didn't object when he reached to put his arm around her shoulder.

"First let me tell you what I _don't_ think of you. I don't think you are someone to order around or humiliate. Sometimes I take control of the situation by force of habit. I deserve to be called on that. You're a jounin, Sakura, my equal. I don't think you are some kind of object, or sex toy to be gaped at. But I am a man, Sakura, and you surprised me. Who would have expected you to walk out of a public restroom sopping wet?"

"A little girl threw up on me." Her tears had stopped, and she drew a deep, shuddering breath.

"Let me finish, Sakura. The truth is, you're quite attractive, and I'm not gay."

Sakura let his words sink in, then asked, "And what is it that you _do _think of me?"

"I think of you as my friend, my closest living friend. You're precious to me, Sakura." He turned to her and pulled her to him. "I thought that was kind of obvious."

Glossary:

yakiniku- Japanese version of Korean BBQ. Meats are typically grilled at the table at a wood or charcoal fired barbecue set into the table.

Kimchi- the quintessential Korean food. Spicy, fermented cabbage.

Tare- a dipping sauce served with yakiniku. Can be miso or soy based.

Ryoriya- a restaurant, typically one that serves the cuisine of a specific nation.


	22. Luxury fifth date part two

_Disclaimer: Naruto and associated characters are property of Masashi Kishimoto. They are not my property!_

**Fourteen Dates **

**Chapter 22–Luxury (Fifth Date, part two)**

"I guess I'm a little slow on the uptake." Sakura's voice was slightly muffled, which was not surprising, given the fact that she was locked securely within Kakashi's embrace.

"Only you would say something like that, Sakura."

"You really think of me as one of your closest friends?" She leaned back against his arms until he loosened her grip enough for her to see his face.

"I just said that, didn't I?"

"And you really think that I'm attractive?" She looked at the copy ninja with a look that intermingled wariness and incredulity.

"Sakura, a person would have to be blind not to find you attractive. Haven't you ever noticed the way men look at you?"

"Well, today in the barbecue restaurant they were certainly staring, but I was pretty much on display. I've seen men staring the same way at undressed mannequins in a shop window–- even ones missing body parts. Just so long as the torsos were there. T and A, right? So men staring me when I'm wearing a see-through shirt really doesn't count." She considered for a moment. "Genma stares at me, but he'd stare at an eighty-year-old Buddhist nun, fully robed. And he'd probably fantasize about her shaved head and sutra beads. It seems like anything with two X chromosomes is fair game with him, you know?"

Kakashi chuckled at the image she'd painted and her elite-level skill at rationalization. "Sakura, why do you think men in bars send drinks your way?"

"Because they want to get laid?"

"Possibly." He smiled at her candor. "Probably. But do they do that to every woman in the bar?"

"Ino never has to buy a drink. Neither does Hinata. I don't know about the other kunoichi. I never took a poll."

"They usually don't buy drinks for Anko."

"Well if I were a man, I certainly wouldn't. Unless I was into snakes in a big way. Or pain, if what I've heard is true."

He laughed again. "Poor example."

"Kakashi, why are you so aware of who is buying me drinks?" She sighed. "I hate how overprotective the three of you are."

He, Sasuke, and Naruto, obviously.

"That's not it, Sakura."

Sakura didn't hear him. "I swear, it's like I have three fathers. Each of you alone is worse than my own dad ever was, and together--." She rolled her eyes.

"I don't want to be your father, Sakura."

"No." Her smile was disarming and shy. "You really think of me as your friend?" She snuggled against him.

"Not just my friend. I said, 'closest friend.'"

"I think of you the same way. There's no one I'd rather be with. No one else comes anywhere close." Sakura hugged him tightly, then stood and dusted off her clothing. "So, _friend_, which way do we go? I won't even bother asking for our destination."

Kakashi pointed. "That way. We have about eight more hours travel left, assuming we run. Do you want to do it all today, or make camp in a few hours? It's past two already, I'd guess, but the moon will be full tonight."

"The watch didn't work out, huh?" Sakura snickered. "Why am I not surprised?"

"I accidentally wore it into the shower."

"Right. Accidentally. So, will we be staying at this elevation or going back into the mountains?"

"This elevation. It should be good sleeping weather, if that's what you're thinking of."

"I'd really like to get where we're going. But I'd like to walk for a while, first, if that's okay."

"That's fine. There's no rush."

"If we're not in a rush, why did you push so hard yesterday? We hardly took a break all day."

Kakashi smiled wickedly. "Training."

"You are such a hard-ass."

"Yes, I believe you've already mentioned that. But what has my ass got to do with anything?"

"Hentai. Let's get going."

This was his own fault, he realized as they set off. He'd had the perfect opportunity to share his feelings– his true feelings, not some watered-down bastardization of them– but he'd chickened out. What was wrong with him?

As a shinobi, he was a master at taking risks. True, he avoided, as much as possible, walking blindly into situations– he'd lived to be almost forty for a reason. But the job required an intimate familiarity and comfort with risk and uncertainty. The outcome of every battle was unknown at the start– one never knew what jutsu the opponent might put into play. That sense of the unknown was what made the job so exhilarating, to be perfectly honest.

So why was he so afraid to tell the woman walking next to him exactly how he felt?

His "closest friend". This was true, absolutely true, but incomplete. He didn't want to be her "friend," not if he could be more.

_Baka, baka, baka._

And what had she said? "I think of you the same way." As a _friend_. Yes, closest friend, but possibly (probably!) no more than that. Even if she'd been thinking otherwise, he'd just defined the limits of their relationship for them. Friends, not lovers.

_Stupid! _

She was so good, so very good at rationalization, Kakashi thought as he stole a sidelong glance at her. Right now she was probably explaining away her dream, compartmentalizing the feelings her subconscious had only just made her aware of that morning. It had been evident from this morning's uncharacteristic silence that the dream had upset her equilibrium, that she'd been cogitating about its significance. And that had been good– it had been just what he'd been hoping for. But he'd ruined it.

_Friends._

"Kuso!"

"What's wrong, Kakashi?"

"Nothing." He quickly pulled his orange-bound savior out of his kunai pouch, hoping its appearance might distract her.

"You never swear. That's twice today."

"I forgot something." He turned to the illustration on page 212 and pretended to look at it closely.

"What? Is it important?"

"I forgot to set my plant in the bathtub."

_What? Is that really the best you can do?_

"Plant? Oh, you mean that poor half-dead thing in your living room?"

"Uh-huh. I usually set it in about 2 cm of water before leaving on a mission so it doesn't dry out while I'm gone."

"Well, I hope it survives."

"Yeah, I've had it for 25 years."

"I guess having me around has screwed up your daily schedule."

_Baka. You just keep digging in deeper, don't you?_

"No, no." He snapped the book shut and looked at her, an apologetic smile on his face. "I forgot the last mission, too. It's not you, at all. I just guess I'm getting old."

"If you say so, Kakashi."

"You don't think I'm old?"

"I did when I was twelve. We all thought you were ancient. Remember how Naruto said you had "old-man" smell?" Sakura giggled at the memory. "But no, I don't think you're old, anymore. More experienced, sure, but that's a good thing."

"If you say so."

"How could it not be? I'd give anything to know a thousand jutsu. Or to be able to fight like you."

"Do you still see yourself as that twelve-year-old, Sakura?"

She furrowed her brow. "Sometimes."

"I don't. People talk about you. You know that, don't you? When they call you 'mini-Tsunade' there's a fair amount of awe in their voices. It's something to be compared to the Hokage. And they're not talking about your temper, either, although you two certainly have that in common. You've grown incredibly in the past twelve years. I wish I'd helped you acquire some of that experience."

"You weren't a lousy teacher, you know." How did she know what he was thinking?

"No? Then why am I not still your sensei?"

"Baka. Because you're not a medic." She looked away. "And, to be honest, because of the overprotectiveness. You and the boys were always trying to protect me. Like I might break. And because I felt inferior– because of the overprotectiveness, and because I was nothing compared to them. An Uchiha and the kyuubi container, and me, the shop-keepers' daughter. And on top of that raw talent, Naruto and Sasuke both had goals. They both had drive and determination. I didn't." She looked at him then, noticing the look of guilt on his face. "But Kakashi, don't sell yourself short. You said I've grown incredibly. But have you thought of how much I grew in the year I was your student? It was because of you that I finally _did _find a goal to pursue. I changed from a silly, boy-crazy girl to someone who wanted to be a shinobi again. And that was because you showed me what it really means to be a shinobi, what it really means to put our village first. So I think you did well."

"You were never nothing, Sakura." His voice was soft.

"You're a good friend." Her hand found his and they walked in silence.

...o...o...o...o...

Perhaps an eight-hour run, punctuated only by a short dinner break, hadn't been the best idea. It was clear that Sakura was exhausted, although he knew the kunoichi would never admit to it. But it would be nice to sleep in a soft bed, between crisp, freshly-washed sheets. Their target lay just below them, at the base of the hill on which they stood. Its stone lanterns beckoned welcomingly.

Kakashi paused to work the henge jutsu, and turned to Sakura with a smile. "We're here."

"Where's here?"

"Our location for the next few days."

"This place?" Sakura looked at the complex sprawled beneath them. It was completely different from any place she'd ever stayed on official business. A rolling lawn and well-planned, though understated gardens surrounded the buildings, for one thing, and the place had an air of luxury, of having been designed with great thoughtfulness to be pleasing to every sense. "This is a resort, isn't it?" It was obvious that it was– she'd never seen such a lovely inn. "Is the village really paying for this? How on earth did you swing it?"

He smiled. "Have you thought up a name for the register?"

"Right. Hmm." She was silent as they approached the building's double doors, which were swept open by two attentive doormen dressed in distinctive black and tan kasuri-woven kimono.

"Nakai-san. Welcome to Ryokan Nanatsu Ishidourou," one said, taking their backpacks from them.

The foyer, Sakura saw as she sat in the entrance removing her shoes, was as elegant as the exterior, though by no means excessive. The place had a rustic air to it, though it was not in the least bit shabby. Far from it. But its designer definitely understood the wabi-sabi aesthetic. Sakura smiled. It would be nice to spend a few days here, as the place was far, far nicer than the type of hotel typically frequented by shinobi, given their meager (that is, almost non-existent) expense accounts.

"Nakai-san. Nani ka osagashi desu ka?" A well-preserved older blonde woman beamed at Kakashi from behind the check-in counter. Sakura noticed she did not even glance her way.

"Yes. We're looking for accommodations for the next few days. Two singles, if you have them, close by."

"Sir, you are very lucky," the clerk simpered as she tilted her head and smiled widely at him. "If you'd walked in just five minutes ago, I would have had to tell you that we were completely full– it is that time of year, after all– but one of our guests hasn't arrived, and as it's past eleven, her reservation is now canceled. It's not two singles– it's a two-bedroom suite, but I'd be happy to give it to you for the two singles' rate."

Kakashi smiled as the woman beamed at him. Showing his face had been a very good idea, he decided.

"And how long will you be staying?"

"Through the weekend, at least." Kakashi took a fair number of bank notes out of his pocket and slid them toward the woman.

She smiled, then opened a large scroll and pushed it toward him, brushing Kakashi's hand as she did so. "Wonderful. If you and your daughter would just sign here–"

"I'm not his daughter." Sakura's voice was a growl. Kakashi nearly laughed aloud.

"She's not." Kakashi winked at the blonde woman who now looked distinctly put out. Kakashi scrawled a name quickly and passed the registry scroll to Sakura.

_Jinrai Taiheya, _Sakura read. _Very funny, Kakashi. _She suddenly knew what her pseudonym would be. Kakashi looked over her shoulder as she wrote and looked at her questioningly. He then turned his attention to the overattentive clerk.

"Do you have a restaurant on site?"

The woman looked up from inspecting their names. "Oh. Yes, of course. It's quite well-known in the area. But unfortunately, dinner was at six, and meal service to the rooms ends at eight. If you're hungry now, I'd suggest seeing our concierge. He'll be happy to suggest a few places that are open late. And if you'd like breakfast delivered to your room, just fill out the card on your bed and hang it from your doorknob by two. Otherwise, breakfast is at seven." She looked at the scroll again, then looked up, as though trying to place Kakashi. "Your name looks very familiar, Jinrai-sama. I'm sure I've heard it somewhere."

"I come from a very large family. Perhaps you've met one of my brothers? Several of them travel quite frequently. They look a bit like me."

"Hmm. Well, please let me know if there's anything you need. I'll be here all night. Here are your keys. Your suite is at the end of that hall." Apparently she'd decided Sakura wasn't much of a threat. At least, that was what her body language indicated. Somehow, her kimono was showing a bit more cleavage than it had previously.

"I'm tired, _Taiheya_. Let's go to bed." Sakura hooked her arm around Kakashi and dragged him towards their rooms. "Do you always use that name?" she asked as they moved out of earshot.

"No. Sometimes I go by _Arashi Junko_. What about you? Who's _Hinade Tsume_? 'Young bird with claws,' huh?

"I'll let you figure that out for yourself, Jiraiya hentai. Do you always lie that much? You do it with such grace and fluidity."

Kakashi opened the door to their suite, which was decorated in traditional style. The main space was an 8-tatami room, with kotetsu and zabuton, tansu and the other pieces of furniture you'd expect to find in an old-style home. Off this sitting room was a large bathroom, with a glass door leading out to a private onsen, and two smaller bedrooms. Each bedroom was empty except for a futon, which had already been laid out, a kimono stand, and the backpacks which had been taken from them on their arrival. The only concession to modernity (apart from the electricity and running water) was the flat-screen television that hung on a sturdy outer wall of each bedroom. Sakura didn't even notice hers, as she'd never seen one before. Television was a rarity in technology-impoverished Konoha, and the sets they did have were bulky, old-fashioned models, and for official (boring) use only. There were no television broadcasts in Konoha, just radio. Kakashi, on the other hand, did recognize the television, as well as the DVD player he found in the nearby closet. He sighed as he inspected them, and the quality entertainment they might deliver. Too bad he'd have no time to make use of either piece of equipment. He had a full schedule planned for the next few days.

Sakura raised her voice, so that Kakashi could hear her from his own room. "I'm going to take a bath, and then bed. I'm completely exhausted. Unless you want to discuss the mission." Kakashi did not answer, engrossed as he was in contemplation of an _Icha, Icha_ video marathon. Sakura rummaged in her backpack for her toiletries and pulled a blue and white yukata from the room's closet. "See you tomorrow, I guess," she called as she slid shut the bathroom door.

Kakashi pulled several items from his backpack and headed back to the lobby. The blonde clerk smiled brightly as she saw him. "Back so soon? Where's your _friend_?"

"My fiancee? Resting. Where might I find the concierge?"

"He's in back. I'll get him for you." There was a definite frown on the former beauty's face as she walked away.

An elderly man dressed in a black and tan kimono that was somewhat more elegant than those worn by the doormen hurried up to Kakashi. "Taiheya-sama, I must apologize for not being present when you asked for me. We rarely have guest inquiries at this hour. Please tell me what I can do to make your stay more comfortable." He'd bowed quite deeply, which made Kakashi more than a little uncomfortable.

Kakashi passed him the paper-wrapped packages he'd carried from Konoha. "There are several things, actually. Would it be possible to have these pressed?"

The concierge nodded. "Certainly. They will be ready for you in the morning."

"Would you be able to give me the contact information for a dresser? Not for me, of course. For my, uh, fiancee." Funny how that word sounded so appropriate.

"Ah. There are several the ryokan uses on a regular basis. In fact, I can schedule you now, if you'd like, for tomorrow."

"Wonderful. And is there a place where I can buy the items needed to complete the ensemble?"

"The dresser will bring those with her. Women rarely have all the necessary garments nowadays. It was different when I was young." The concierge smiled at the memory, then quickly collected himself. "Will ten o'clock work for you? Yuka is free then, and she is one of the best. It will take her about an hour and a half to complete her work."

"Thank you sir." Kakashi bowed slightly, and headed back to the suite, a smile on his face. He released the henge jutsu upon entering the sitting room, and was immediately concerned when he did not feel Sakura's chakra. He checked her room, just to be sure he wasn't mistaken. But a false negative would be unlikely, given the thin shoji screens that served as the inner walls of the suite. Chakra flowed through paper easily. The bathroom door was still locked, he noticed. He tapped gently on it and called her name. No answer. In a moment, the door was unlocked, and Kakashi stepped inside. The room was bright and deserted. Where was she?

He heard a splash and a small scream of surprise. "Kakashi! Don't make another move. I told you I was bathing. Why do you keep doing this to me? Tottoto dete ike!"

Ah. She was in the onsen. Kakashi cupped his hands to the room's glass door and leaned in to block the bright light of the bathroom. After a moment, he noticed the flickering candle that dimly lit the courtyard beyond. Sakura's head and shoulders were just visible above the spa's steaming waters. "You had me worried, Sakura." He closed the blinds and stripped, then quickly showered. Moments later he stood outside, clad only in a towel.

"Mind if I join you?"

"Kakashi! I told you to go away. And close your eyes!"

"Sakura, it's dark out here, and perfectly secluded. No one will see." He pointed to the tightly woven bamboo fence that enclosed the small pool, and kept his eyes open. He could see quite a bit more, now that he was outside. Beautiful, as always.

"It's not _anyone _I'm worried about. And there's plenty of light coming from the bathroom."

"Easily fixed." Kakashi strode inside, turned off the light and walked briskly back to the pool. "See? There's no way I can see anything, and I'll keep my distance. Promise." Without hesitation, he dropped his towel and lowered himself into the steaming hot water. "Ah. That feels so good."

"It does, doesn't it?" Sakura sunk a bit lower into the pool to be sure Kakashi's wandering eyes would find nothing of consequence to look at.

"Maybe you should blow out the candle. I can see your face." Kakashi smirked at Sakura's modesty. "You know, there's really not much difference between being completely naked and wearing a bikini. And I've seen you plenty of times in a bikini."

"There _is_ a big difference, Kakashi, and you know it."

"Such a prude." He rolled his eye heavenward.

"I am not a prude. Stop being so insulting." She kicked her foot and splashed him.

Kakashi wiped his face, and removed his now-soaked eye patch. "Don't start something that you won't be able to finish." He quickly formed several seals, causing a small, but effective water dragon to unleash a torrent of water over Sakura's head.

When the water subsided, a thoroughly breathless Sakura slammed her fist into the water. It parted momentarily, inadvertently revealing Kakashi's naked body (which brought an immediate blush to Sakura's face), then washed out over the courtyard.

Sakura shrieked as she realized the consequences of her actions. The pool was now half-empty, and she was completely exposed. She jumped up, grabbed her towel and yukata, and dashed inside, locking the door behind her. She heard Kakashi's soft laughter from the other side. "Told you I would win."

...o...o...o...o...

Sakura lay on her futon and attempted to sleep. It had been a really trying day. First had been the dream, and what a dream it had been. She'd never dreamt about sex that vividly before. And never about Kakashi. But who could blame her.

_He is so incredibly handsome. And so masculine._

She blushed as she recalled the brief view she'd had of his body just minutes before. Despite her work as a medic, despite the many physicals she'd given to shinobi in prime condition, Sakura had never seen anyone so physically perfect as Kakashi. Apart from the scars, of course. He had those in abundance. But somehow this made him seem more real, and a bit more approachable. Even vulnerable.

Kakashi wasn't overly masculine, like Zabuza, for instance, whose muscle-bound form was almost comical in its stereotypical muscularity. Kakashi was wiry and lean, much more subtle in his masculinity. But virile all the same.

And he found her attractive. The wet shirt incident had been totally humiliating, and the look Kakashi had given her when she'd finally gotten his attention had nearly floored her. The look of unabashed arousal she'd seen in his eye had been almost frightening, and unmistakable. But even if she'd had any doubts, he'd come right out and told her that he found her attractive.

_My former sensei finds me attractive!_

_Well at least he's not twice your age. Anymore._

Fourteen years difference wasn't that much now that she was twenty-four. It really wasn't.

_He said I'm his closest friend. What did he mean by that? Is he interested in me? What would I do if he was?_

_We're talking about Kakashi. What do you _think _he meant by it? Have you ever seen him on a date? The man does not do relationships. You still know much less about him than you do about Sasuke. Sasuke, who utters a maximum of ten words on a good day. You know less about Kakashi, and you're his closest friend. The fact that he finds you attractive is meaningless. He would never act on it. He values our relationship the way it is. As friends._

_So then why did he invade my privacy while I was bathing? Again? He just whipped off the towel and climbed right in!_

_Because he's a pervert, Sakura. The man had no qualms about reading pornographic novels in front of you and the boys when you were twelve. Why would you be surprised that he doesn't see anything wrong in telling his closest friend that she's attractive and then getting naked in front of her? Hentai, Sakura, hentai! Plain and simple._

_I guess._ Sakura sighed and punched her pillow. Things just did not make sense.

Glossary

Kasuri- Japanese ikat fabric, in which the warp and weft threads are bound so that only part of each thread picks up color when dyed. With a lot of planning and precise techniques, the difference in color results in the woven fabric ends up having a particular design, sometimes very intricate. Kasuri fabrics are often indigo cotton, but some silk kimono also feature this technique.

Ryokan- a classic japanese country inn, built and decorated in traditional style.

"Nakai-san." A typical greeting given when one enters a ryokan.

Ryokan Nanatsu Ishidourou- Inn of the Seven Lanterns. There are seven stone lanterns outside the inn, which give it its name.

wabi-sabi- a world view that is closely related to Zen Buddhism and the idea of impermanence. Things that are imperfect, impermanent or incomplete are often considered wabi-sabi, as are things that are rustic, natural, handmade (and therefore quirky), understated or worn. Wabi refers to simplicity and freedom from ornateness. Sabi refers to natural processes that are transient, and irregular. Because Ikebana flower arrangements are understated, and are meant to reflect the simple beauty of nature, they are considered wabi-sabi. Zen gardens, bonsai and tea ceremonies are other examples of the wabi-sabi aesthetic.

"Nani ka osagashi desu ka?" -May I help you?

8-tatami room- Traditional Japanese rooms come in specific sizes, so that the tatami mats which cover the floor will fit. An 8-tatami room is a good sized room.

kotetsu- A heated, quilt covered table used in wintertime. Family members sit with their legs under the table and quilt to keep warm in drafty traditional homes that lack central heating. Brr!

zabuton- Seating cushions that are used in tatami rooms.

tansu- traditional Japanese chest. My favorite are the large ones that stairstep up the wall. Some day...

onsen- a hot spring

"Tottoto dete ike!"- Get the hell out of here!


	23. OHanami sixth date

_Disclaimer: Naruto and associated characters are property of Masashi Kishimoto. They are not my property!_

**Fourteen Dates **

_Author's note: Longest chapter yet! I sincerely hope this doesn't bore your socks off. Or tabi. You will probably gather, after reading this chapter, that I am a very big fan of Japanese textiles. I collect them, use them in art projects and do some of the textile-related crafts described throughout this story. I am fascinated by kimono, particularly the amount of effort that goes into dressing in one. I am including all this detail to indicate how special the day is and the amount of thought and effort Kakashi has put into it._ _And also because I like to write descriptively (that's why there are fourteen dates, after all)._

_I have reason to celebrate today, and I am so happy that I have to share. Four months ago, I severely broke my leg, just below the knee, and dislocated my shoulder. After surgery to install a plate, eight long screws and to do a bone graft, I was stuck in bed at a hospital for week, a "rehab center" (read: nursing home) for two more weeks, and a wheelchair after that. Finally, a month ago I graduated to crutches. As of today I am walking without help. With a pronounced limp, mind you, but walking nonetheless. I will still have time to write (don't worry about that!), but I am relishing my new found freedom!_

**Chapter 23–O-Hanami (Sixth Date)**

"Today's the day, Hatake," Kakashi said as he finished his hour of meditation. Once he'd said it aloud, he'd figured there would be no turning back. After all, the reason he'd spent a small bundle on renting the suite was to make the next few days special. He hoped Sakura would be ready for the bomb he'd be dropping on her in just a few hours.

It was seven, and if he remembered correctly, the overattentive blonde at the front desk had mentioned breakfast would be served at that time. If this were a typical ryokan, the breakfast service would only last for two hours. Sakura would not be pleased at the early start to the day, but she'd be even more displeased to start the day on an empty stomach. He should have filled out the room service menu, he realized, but he'd been too busy the night before, laughing and replaying the very delightful scene of Sakura running, naked and glistening, from the spa to the bathroom. It hadn't been a problem to refill the pool– lifting a simple wooden gate (which had been located just to the right of Sakura, incidentally) allowed steaming hot water to rush into the pool. Kakashi had soothed his muscles in the relaxing spa until he thought Sakura was asleep. There had been no sense in ticking her off further.

Besides, he'd accomplished what he'd intended by their little interaction. She had to have wondered just what he was thinking in joining her in the pool. After the "friend" comment he'd made earlier in the day, he wanted to prime the pump just a bit, so that today's announcement might not come as a shock.

Kakashi padded down to Sakura's room and stood outside the simply painted fusuma, then slid it back silently and entered. She was still asleep, he saw, but that wasn't surprising. She was not a morning person, after all. Hell, she was barely human until ten or so. But right now, she looked so innocent and vulnerable, with her mouth slightly open and yogi pulled up to her chin. It seemed a shame to wake her.

She groaned when he called her name, pulled the thick, kimono-shaped futonji up to cover her head, then extended her arm to feel the floor next to her for a suitable object to throw at him. Unfortunately, there was nothing by her side except for her yukata, which was a bit too unwieldy to throw successfully. She retreated into the bed like a turtle pulling into its shell.

"Too early. Go away. Unless you have coffee." Her voice was muffled, but still audible under her pillow.

"Can't do that. You'll miss breakfast. Coffee's there, not here."

"Five more minutes." It was not a request, given the tone of her voice.

Kakashi sat on the edge of her futon and waited for a good minute. Then he leaned in to shake her gently.

"Sakura– or should I say 'Tsunade-hime'?"

"Oh. You figured it out. I knew it wouldn't take you long."

"I don't think the Godaime would appreciate you using her name."

Sakura bolted upright, the yogi slipping down to her waist, giving Kakashi a very nice view of her nightgown. It was black, as he might have expected, given that black seemed to be one of her favorite colors, but it was completely unadorned– just a plain cotton-knit chemise with thin spaghetti straps. That didn't stop her from looking stunning, though. Kakashi tore his eyes away from her.

"You wouldn't tell." She looked at him menacingly, though the effect was somewhat ruined by the disheveled condition of her hair.

"Do you always use an anagram of her name when you travel?"

"No. Usually I pick something boring. But since you used Jiraiya's name, I thought it appropriate. I was just playing."

Kakashi grinned as he stood. "I know. But it was one way to get you out of bed. Be ready in ten minutes." He walked out of the room.

It took her a bit longer– 90 minutes to be exact. Of course, 75 of those minutes were spent snuggled back in bed, dozing. She assumed Kakashi would stop by again to threaten her when she didn't join him, but he didn't. Feeling guilty, she rose from the bed and quickly dressed in a chartreuse wool dress that covered her arms with close cut sleeves, but showed off her legs with a short, flippy skirt.

"Not too many people could pull off that color," Kakashi said as she joined him in the sitting room. She looked at him questioningly, not sure whether she should categorize his statement as an insult or a compliment. He appeared not to notice, as he was intently studying his book, but continued speaking.

"I'm not surprised you do, though. But you always look good, Sakura." She smiled at him and blushed slightly.

"Is there something you need, Kakashi? I'm really not used to you being so nice to me." Her eyes widened. "It's about the mission, isn't it? You must want me to do something horrible. I should have known." She crossed her arms across her chest and scowled.

"Don't jump to conclusions. We'll discuss it at breakfast."

Sakura looked at him warily as he picked up the key to the room and led the way out, book tucked under his arm.

The dining room was crowded, but they were escorted to a table almost immediately. The breakfast menu was large and diverse, offering local specialities as well as typical Fire country fare, and a number of dishes from neighboring countries, too.

"I'm in no mood to be adventurous this morning. At least my stomach isn't. I'll just have the rice and soup."

"Are you feeling sick?"

"No, just a little under the weather."

Their breakfast was quickly brought to them, and Kakashi tucked into his meal with vigor. They'd gone the ramen route the night before, and he was ravenous this morning as a result. Sakura barely touched her food, and instead sipped her green tea slowly, and stirred egg into her rice with a hashi. She pushed a piece of nori into the bowl, using it to enfold a clump of rice, but dropped it back again before it reached her lips, feeling somewhat nauseated by the sight of food. It must have been the horrible instant ramen she'd choked down the evening before that had made her feel so awful, she decided, resting her hashi on their stand.

"So what's the mission?" she asked, when Kakashi got to a stopping point in his eating.

"Well, I promised you a surprise." His visible eye crinkled, and his lips moved into a smile accentuated by his dimples.

_He really is handsome. Even with the black hair. Especially when he smiles._

"The surprise is... there is no mission." She looked at him in surprise. "I thought it might be a good idea for you to go on a real vacation, since it sounds like you rarely do so. And I thought you might find someplace new diverting."

"There's no mission? Well, why didn't you tell me that from the start?"

"Because then it wouldn't have been a surprise, Sakura."

"What you mean is, then you wouldn't have had the pleasure of tormenting me for several days. Sadist."

"I think I was the one who was tormented. 'Where are we going? Kakashi, where are we going? Are we there yet?'" He used his Sakura voice, and she laughed in spite of herself.

"So where are we?"

"In a town called Kawahana, in the far north of the country."

"Kawahana? Never heard of it."

"That surprises me."

"Why?"

"You'll see."

"Kakashi, Leaf didn't pay for this, did it? You really didn't have to–"

"I am well aware of what I have to and don't have to do, Sakura. You've done a lot for me lately, and I wanted to do something special to let you know I appreciate it."

"You've already done that, Kakashi. This is embarrassing. This is a five star resort– it's really obvious. How can you afford it? I should be paying for half of this."

"I can afford it, Sakura. The woman at the check in gave me quite a good discount. And I barely spend any of my salary anyway. Don't even consider paying for half. And don't bring it up again."

"I don't understand you, Kakashi-kun."

"I'll be right back." He walked over to their waiter, and the two talked for several minutes before the server made some notes on a pad, then bowed and walked away.

_What am I to you?_ Sakura looked across to Kakashi, who was walking briskly back to her with a subtle gleam in his eye.

"We should get back to the room."

"Okay." She rose from her chair. "So what is Kawahana known for? Why did you choose this place?"

Kakashi smiled and said again, "You'll see."

They'd only just entered their suite when there was a knock on the door. Sakura answered it to see a tiny, tremendously wrinkled woman smiling at her. She smiled with a wide grin, showing off the full set of even, white teeth she miraculously still had and said, "Ohayo gozaimasu. I am Yuka, and I'm here for kitsuke."

"Come in, Yuka-san," said Kakashi from over Sakura's shoulder. "We've been expecting you."

"Kitsuke?"

The small woman entered pulling a two-wheeled wire shopping cart filled to overflowing with the tools and materials of her trade. "Sir," she said imperiously to Kakashi, "You will leave us alone for the next hour and a half, until the young lady is ready. Understood?"

"Yes, obaasan. Luckily, I have plenty to do." He tapped the cover of _Icha, Icha Takutikusu _and settled on a zabuton to read. "You won't even know I'm here."

"So, dearie. Where is your kimono?"

"Kimono?" Sakura stared at the woman with a puzzled expression on her face.

"Try your room, Sakura." Kakashi did not look up from his book, which hid the smile on his face.

"Oh. Oh!" she cried as she entered the bedroom and saw the garment hanging there.

It was beautiful, simply beautiful. It was not an informal yukata, the only type of kimono Sakura had ever worn, the type she'd learned to wear during special kunoichi classes on women's arts. This was a more formal garment. It did not have the extremely long sleeves that would designate it as a furisode or the several crests at the shoulders, front and back that would define its appropriateness for weddings or similar events, but it was nonetheless breathtaking.

The kimono's background was Sakura's favorite color, an intense, deep red. Against this damask-patterned rinzu fabric were scattered several flying doves. At the hem of the garment was a hawk which rested against pine and sakura branches. The images had been hand-painted using yuzen techniques, and showed a fine level of detail. Small pine cones, and the stamens of the sakura blossoms had been detailed with surihaku. The sleeves were longer than those that would appear on a yukata, and were open at the base of the armhole. Sakura ran her hands over the garment, which opened slightly to show the juban underneath. It was also red, and made of a thin, fine silk fabric, and covered with tiny shibori dots in a undulating, wave-like pattern. Its attached collar was white and embroidered elaborately with a dove motif in white silk.

"That is a rare and elegant houmongi, the perfect choice for you," the dresser Yuka said approvingly, as she unpacked her cart. "If you are going to wear makeup, now is the time to apply it. And remove any jewelry, please."

"I usually don't wear much. Just mascara and lip gloss, and I've already put them on. And I don't wear jewelry."

Yuka nodded. "You really don't need makeup. You have beautiful skin, dearie." She pulled out a small step-stool and beckoned to Sakura as she set out towels, string and other items. "I understand that you do not have the necessary komono, so we will use what I have brought."

"Komono?"

"The many items that are worn under kimono." The elderly lady clucked at Sakura's ignorance. "Women today do not understand the subtle beauty of our traditional dress." She handed Sakura a plain white garment. "You will need to put this on. Strip down and let's get started." She handed Sakura three undergarments.

Sakura unfolded the garments and inspected them, not sure of the order in which to dress. She removed her green wool dress, unfolded the hadajuban and began to put it on over her bra.

The woman clucked again, and folded her arms across her chest. "No, no. That will ruin the line. You must take off all clothing except your panties. And put on these." She passed a pair of white tabi to the kunoichi.

Sakura blushed, but did as requested, quickly slipping into the fine, white cotton undershirt and split-toed socks Yuka had provided. "Susoyoke next." The woman pointed to the long half slip. "Then the nagajuban." Sakura put on these articles of clothing, leaving the plain white kimono open. The woman tied the nagajuban shut with a date-jime, then pulled the step stool up and tugged firmly on the under kimono, precisely lining up the collar and measuring the fall of the garment with a string. She stepped down and stood back to survey Sakura's figure.

"We will not need to bind your breasts, but there is a big difference between the size of your waist and your hips."

_What a very nice way to tell me I'm flat chested and have a big butt._ Sakura sighed.

Yuka grabbed one of the towels she had set on the futon and wrapped it snugly around Sakura's waist, then did the same with a second, thinner cloth. She secured both with another date-jime.

"Why can't I have a waist?"

"The ideal figure for a kimono is a perfect cylinder. Breasts and hips should not be apparent."

"How will I bend with all this padding around me?"

"Carefully." Yuka laughed softly. "In kimono, a woman's movements are forced to be small and ladylike."

"I can't imagine wearing this every day."

"Yes, but today you will look very beautiful for your lover." The elderly woman winked at her.

_My lover?! Is she leering? She really should meet up with Jiraiya. They seem to have a similar worldview._

"Now for the juban." Yuka removed the basting stitches that kept the sleeves and collar of the garment from wrinkling, then removed the juban from the kimono stand, being careful not to dislodge the long obi which hung under it. Sakura slipped into the thin silk garment.

"I had no idea dressing in kimono was such an involved process."

"Beauty comes through hard work. Would you not agree?" Yura once again fussed with the kimono's neckline, overlapping it perfectly with the nagajuban, then smoothing it out over Sakura's torso. She tied a soft fabric sash at Sakura's waist, then pulled up on the juban so that the garment fell just above Sakura's ankles, with the excess fabric falling smoothly over the waistband. Yura unstitched the basting stitches on the houmongi and passed it to Sakura. The dresser took her time arranging the garment so that the neckline fell gracefully at Sakura's nape, and measuring carefully, so that a modest amount of flesh showed where the garment overlapped in front. She secured the waistband with a koshi-himo, pulling the fabric as she'd done for the juban so that the excess fabric fell hung evenly over the waistband. She then secured this layer of fabric with a second koshi-himo so that a small, even amount of fabric was exposed below the sash.

"Now for the obi. Do you have a preference for the way it is tied?"

Sakura shook her head. She would have said, "So I can breathe," but thought the elderly woman might not appreciate her sense of humor.

"Then fukura suzume, I think." Yura tied yet another band around Sakura's waist. She then removed an obi embroidered with pine branches and cherry blossoms from the kimono stand. She draped the 4-meter long strip of brocade fabric unevenly over Sakura's shoulder and wrapped the long end around her waist, tucking in the ends of the sash in as she did so. She temporarily draped the remaining fabric over Sakura's shoulder and tied a silk crepe sash around the portion of the obi that now encircled Sakura's waist, tying the ends of the sash loosely in front. She slipped a small pillow where the obi-age touched Sakura's back, and tightened the sash. "This will help to give the obi shape," she explained. She then finished wrapping and tying the obi into the sparrow shape she'd mentioned. As a final touch, she secured the obi with a black and silver obi-jime, then stood back to criticize her work.

"Your hair is too short to put up," she said after a long silence, "but at least it is short enough to show off your nape. That will be most attractive to your man. This kimono suits you, I think. I humbly hope that I have met your expectations."

"I don't think I can bend over," Sakura said, but smiled at the dresser and did her best to bow her thanks. "I don't think I would have the patience to do your job. You must be a perfectionist. Thank you for spending so much time on this."

Yuka bowed again. "It is truly my pleasure. Where are your zouri?"

Sakura frowned. "I only have one pair and unfortunately they are at my home. I wasn't expecting to dress in this way. This is a total surprise."

"No, Sakura, they're right here." Kakashi slid open the fusuma and handed Sakura her sandals. They were new, with red silk straps that matched the color of the houmongi perfectly. "You look stunning." What was that look in his eyes?

Sakura could not help but stare at Kakashi as the dresser gathered her supplies and hurriedly left. Traditional attire suited him. His kimono was a loden-green color, which set off his pale skin and darkened hair. But it would have looked just as striking with his normal silver color, Sakura knew. He was devastatingly handsome. The kimono was simple, quite plain apart from the tortoiseshell patterning of its weave. A silver kaku-obi was tied simply at his waist. He wore plain black zouri over the traditional dark blue tabi.

"Shall we?" Kakashi asked, meeting Sakura's gaze as it shifted to his face.

"Y-y-yes." She felt like Hinata, at a complete loss for words. She followed Kakashi to the sitting room, where he picked up his haori. She noticed the lining was woven in a pattern she'd seen before. Small komon of the five-part chidori were scattered across the cloth. Sakura pointed to the repeating pattern.

"Is this your family crest?" _Well, obviously, Sakura._ _Any other stupid questions to ask?_

"Mmm-hmm. This is the symbol of the Hatake clan."

"Funny how it suits you perfectly."

"There haven't been too many examples of serendipity in my life, but you're right, Sakura. It does." He smiled.

"There are kunai hidden in the crest. Does your family have a history of service as shinobi?"

"My father was the first, and this komon predates him by at least seven generations. I'd never noticed the kunai. But they were originally a gardening tool. And my ancestors were farmers, as you might guess from the name. So maybe it was intentional."

"I don't think I've ever seen a kimono this beautiful." She held out her arms to inspect the rich fabric.

"It was my mother's." His voice was soft. "Not that I ever saw her wear it. It wouldn't have been appropriate for her to wear a kimono like that as a married woman. I can only guess that she looked as beautiful as you." There was that look again-- a certain softness in his eye. "Have you seen how you look? I don't think there's a full length mirror in your room." He led her to the bathroom, and stood beside her as she took in her reflection.

_We look so nice together._ Sakura turned and hugged her former teacher.

"You've gone to so much trouble, Kakashi. I don't think anyone has ever done anything so thoughtful for me. I–" She barely stopped herself from crying.

"If they hadn't, they should have."

She took a deep breath and composed herself. "So where are we going?"

"You'll see. Patience is a virtue." He entered his room and picked up a blanket he'd removed from his bedroll.

"So is tenacity."

"You've got that in spades."

"And you've got the patience, I guess."

They left the room, zouri in hand. At the entrance, the concierge approached, carrying a hamper.

"Perfect," said Kakashi. He paused to put on his zouri, then took the basket from the elderly man he'd met the night before. "Are you feeling any better than this morning, Sakura?"

She nodded as they strolled out into the bright sunlight.

...o...o...o...o...

"O-Hanami? I thought sakura-viewing season was over."

"That's why we're so far north. Kawahana is famous for its festival. I figured you would know all about it."

Sakura laughed as she looked at the many trees in full blossom that surrounded them. There must be thousands. Pale pink-covered sakura trees stretched for as far as the eye could see. Though it was only noon, the riverside park was already crowded, but Kakashi soon found a suitable location for them to sit and enjoy the spectacle of falling petals and the revelry of festival goers. Most were dressed traditionally, Sakura noticed. This was quite different from Hanami as celebrated in Konoha. Casual attire was the order of the day there. The drunkenness was the same in both places, though.

"I'm not sure that I can sit, Kakashi. You wouldn't believe what I have on under here." She blushed as she realized how suggestive her statement had been.

Kakashi smiled wickedly, but for once he passed on making the obvious rejoinder. "Let me help you," he said as he extended an arm and helped her to kneel. "You've never worn this type of kimono before? I would have thought you'd done so for seijin shiki."

"My parents were gone by then, and I didn't see the point. I bought the apartment instead."

"Hmm." Kakashi wished he hadn't spoken for a moment, but noticed that Sakura's mood had not darkened at the mention of her late parents and tainted apartment. She seemed as happy as earlier.

"I don't know how a kunoichi could function in clothing like this. I can take only baby steps."

"Well, in the past, I think kunoichi skills were a bit more limited than they are today."

"Oh." Her color deepened. "You mean they were simply seductresses."

"What do you mean, 'simply'? That's a critical role. Think of the information they were able to bring back to their villages. There's no fool like a man in love, after all. But times change. I much prefer the kunoichi's role now. Hungry?" He opened the hamper and pulled out plates, hashi and assorted foods. The kitchen staff had packed two large bottles of sake. They must have lots of experience at this, he thought. He looked around. Their neighbors were already well on their way to inebriation.

"I'm starved!' Sakura picked up an onigiri and ate it quickly. "I probably should be more ladylike when I eat, but I can't help it."

"No one would mistake you for a buta, Sakura."

"Not dressed like this, I guess."

They settled down to the task of eating their lunch.

...o...o...o...o...

"So have you ever done Karaoke?"

Sakura finished her cup of sake before she spoke. She usually didn't drink, but today it had felt appropriate, as at the time of her decision it seemed highly probable that she and Kakashi were the only people in the park who were still sober. "Are you kidding? There's no chance in hell that I'd stand up," she gestured to the small stage where very drunken festival-goer had taken the mike, "and subject myself to that kind of humiliation." She turned to him. "Have you?"

"No. Gai has challenged me several times, though. I was almost drunk enough one time to say yes. Almost."

"Bet you'd sound a lot better than him." She pointed to the drunk on the stage. "Even his friends are covering their ears."

"I'm not sure how much more of this I can handle. Want to take a walk?"

"If you'll help me up."

"Can't handle your drink?"

"No. Just can't walk in this outfit. Don't you feel a draft, Kakashi? I was sure the dresser was going to make me take off my panties." Her face turned a color very close to that of her kimono. "I can't believe I just said that."

"Like I said, can't handle your drink." Kakashi laughed as he took her arm and led her down a more part of the park.

"Unlike you."

He chuckled again. "I think you should drink more often. It's very amusing."

"Anything to make you happy, Kakashi." She rolled her eyes.

He squeezed her arm and led her to an unoccupied park bench. She leaned comfortably against him for a while, happy to be in his presence. She'd never felt so relaxed around another person. Kakashi didn't require her to be cheery, or clever, or any of the things she'd tried so hard to become as a teenager. He was happy with who she was, just as she was.

"Thank you for this, Kakashi. I can't think of a day that's been happier."

"Mission accomplished, then." He put his arm around her and kissed the crown of her head.

The revelers camped along this pathway were mostly couples, still drunk, of course, but more subdued than those closer to the Karaoke stage. They actually seemed to be appreciating the ephemeral blossoms. And each other. Sakura noticed the tender, tentative caresses of some, and the more passionate embraces of other couples, and the single focus each had on his or her lover.

Kakashi noticed the wistful look in her eyes and the sudden sadness that played across her beautiful features.

"Kakashi," she said softly, "have you ever been in love?"

He was silent for a minute. He hadn't anticipated her question. He'd thought he was in control of things– he'd planned today and the rest of their vacation to the smallest detail, after all, but now he didn't know what to say.

"Yes," he said finally. She deserved the truth.

"Will you tell me about her?"

"What would you like to know?"

"Why did you love her? How did you know you were in love?"

"Why did I love her?" He spoke slowly as he tried to think objectively. "Let's see. She was... smart as a whip, kind and generous to a fault, but a bit prickly. Completely industrious, a perfectionist, the type of person who trusted completely once she bestowed her trust, and the type of person who deserved your trust. She put her whole self into every thing she did. She committed fully and completely to the things she cared about. She was passionate, in every sense of the word. Hot tempered, but also so very loving. Not the type of person to hold back."

"Wow. She sounds special." Was he talking about Rin? What other women had he had in his life?

"Yes. Definitely."

"And how did you know you were in love?"

"It crept up on me. We were friends first, and slowly I began to see her differently. I knew all of those things about her already, and I already loved her because of them, but slowly, things changed until suddenly I saw that I was incomplete without her."

"So why aren't you with her?" Sakura almost didn't ask the question. It seemed so personal, but he was her friend, wasn't he? Friends should be able to talk like this.

"I was scared. And stupid."

"Oh. Did you ever tell her how you felt?"

"No. That's the stupid part. That and the running away."

"That's horrible, Kakashi. She probably felt the same way as you. How could she not?" _He seems to have made running away a habit._

Kakashi looked in her eyes and smiled. "How about you, Sakura?"

"Well, I thought I was in love once. But we both know how that turned out. I realized I really had no clue what love is. I know it's not just that crushy feeling of infatuation that I felt as a teenager, it's something much deeper." She was quiet for a while, then continued. "I guess I got scared, too, after that. Losing people hurts. I know you know that. Of all people. But I didn't want to feel that loss again. Each time it happened it was as though I lost a part of myself. I haven't wanted to be in love, and risk falling out of love or having it end for whatever reason, so I've never put myself in a position where it might happen." She leaned back against the bench and closed her eyes.

"Nothing ventured, nothing lost."

"Right. I think this is where you say, 'Carpe diem.'"

"Are we trading cliches, Sakura?"

"Apparently." Suddenly, she wasn't feeling very well. She lifted her hand to her brow and felt beads of perspiration. Strange, as the afternoon was somewhat cool.

"So do you still feel that way?"

"What way?" Her clothes were so restrictive. And warm.

"Scared."

"A little. How about you?"

"No. Sakura." He turned to face her and took her hand in his. "Do you–"

He didn't notice that Sakura had turned an alarming shade of near-green. She jumped up, which was quite difficult to accomplish, given her clothing, and scurried as quickly as she could (which really was not quickly at all) toward a trash can. Then she was quite ill.

**Glossary: all you never wanted to know about kimono...**

fusuma- traditional sliding door found in tatami rooms

yogi- a kimono-shaped quilt used on futons

kitsuke- the art of dressing in a kimono.

furisode- this is the most formal kimono an unmarried woman can own. They generally have long, swinging sleeves and are decorated in flowing patterns against a rich or pastel color. Occasionally they have 3 or 5 crests ( at the center top back, back shoulders and front shoulders) that indicate increasing levels of formality.

rinzu- an elegant, heavier silk fabric used in some kimono.

yuzen- a type of kimono decoration in which a paste of rice flour is applied to the garment before it is dyed, so that certain areas remain white. These areas may then be painted by hand, or using stencils. Yuzen dying can be very simple or extremely detailed. The kimono I am describing (a real one, which unfortunately I don't own, although I do own some nice ones) is extremely detailed.

surikaku- gold or silver leafing applied to a kimono.

juban- a decorated underkimono made of thinner fabric (fine silk or cotton) that is layered under the outermost kimono, so that its collar is partly visible.

shibori- a japanese tie-dying technique that is very different from the technicolor western technique many of us are familiar with. In shibori, the fabric is wrapped many times with string to form thousands of tiny white dots against a solid (or subdued) background. Usually the fabric is kept unwashed so that the texture remains after the binding threads are removed. This fabric requires ridiculous amounts of effort to make, and in my opinion is incredibly beautiful.

houmongi- a less formal, but still very elegant kimono that is worn by unmarried women to tea ceremonies, when attending weddings as a guest (not in the wedding party) and to certain festivals. Its informality is shown by its shorter sleeves and absence of crests, or komon. The pattern covering it tends to flow along the length of the kimono, over shoulders and around the sides. Even less formal kimono will have an all-over, repeated pattern or no pattern at all.

tabi- split toed socks worn with kimono such as houmongi

nagajuban- A plain under kimono that lies next to the skin. It is a plain white cotton kimono that protects the more expensive decorated layers from sweat and body oils.

date-jime. A sash that secures the nagajuban

koshi-himo- a sash that is tied at the waist and hips to shorten the length of the kimono (generally a one size fits all garment).

obi-ite a flat stiff band that is used to hold the kimono shut and provide a firm base for the obi.

obi-age- a strip of stretchy cloth that secures the makura at the back waist

makura- a small pillow that is used to give the obi shape

obi- the highly decorated cloths that serve as the outer belt of the kimono. They are often made of gold or silver brocade, or decorated with a type of metallic embroidery known as shusu and is wrapped and folded into an elaborate bustle or other shape at the back of the garment.

obijime- an intricate multistranded braid (the craft of making these braids is called kumihimo) of silk threads used to secure the obi.

fukura suzume- a style of wearing an obi in which the back is tied to resemble a plump sparrow with outspread wings.

zouri- flat sandal worn with kimono styles other than yukata. Very similar to flip flops, but usually made of laquered wood with brocade straps.

kaku-obi- a men's obi, worn with kimono more formal than yukata

haori- a shorter, partial kimono worn as an outer garment that adds formality to the kimono.

buta- pig

seijin shiki - Coming of age day. It is celebrated on January 15th in the year after turning twenty. A woman's parents will often purchase an elaborate kimono (such as a furisode) for this event, and spend a great deal of money to do so. It is inappropriate to wear this kimono after a woman marries, as formal kimono for married women (kuro-tomesode or iro-tomesode) are much more subdued and feature restricted patterning (along the hem of the garment).


	24. Illness

_Disclaimer: Naruto and associated characters are property of Masashi Kishimoto. They are not my property!_

**Fourteen Dates **

_Author's note: Kakashi may have appeared a little out of character lately, but that's kind of the point of the story– that's he's changing as a result of deciding to act on his feelings for Sakura, who has also changed quite a bit in the past nine years. There'll be some Icha, Icha in this chapter, so at least that aspect of Kakashi's character has remained constant! For those of you who are concerned about poor Kakashi and the fact that he just can't win– don't worry. It's coming. And hopefully, it will be well worth it._

_Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to review. Like a lot of people on ff, I live for reviews! They make me want to keep writing. Thank you also for all the good wishes about my health. I wish I had an exciting story to explain how I broke my leg, but I don't. I just tripped and went flying through the air. Clumsy, clumsy girl._

**Chapter 24–Illness**

"Are you okay?" Kakashi was at Sakura's side immediately.

"Could you get me some water?" She tightly gripped the lamp pole standing next to the trash can. The garbage receptacle was far too dirty to touch. Kakashi did not move from her side. His concern was evidenced in the set of his mouth and the look in his eyes. "Please." Kakashi disappeared immediately, and Sakura sighed in relief. There was nothing worse than somewhat watching you vomit, Sakura thought to herself. At least she hadn't ruined the kimono. That would have been completely humiliating, considering that it had belonged to Kakashi's mother. But she'd certainly ruined the afternoon.

She felt hot, and she was definitely nauseated.

_What's wrong? Food poisoning? _

But Kakashi seemed to be feeling fine, and their diet had essentially been the same for the past day. Thankfully, the other key symptom of that illness was missing. It would be completely unbearable to be sharing a suite while bound to the bathroom with intestinal distress. It couldn't be food poisoning, Sakura realized. It generally didn't take too long to show itself– usually only hours. She'd already felt nauseated this morning, and freeze-dried ramen cooked with boiling water should be safe. Sakura gagged at the thought of last night's dinner and was violently ill again, until finally nothing was left to expel except bile. She felt festival-goers' eyes on her. They probably thought she was drunk. She certainly wouldn't be the only person in the park to throw up today, but she was probably the first. It was still too early in the day for alcohol-induced sickness. Or maybe not, she thought as she noticed two passed-out men under a nearby tree. They'd probably started drinking when the sun came up.

She felt Kakashi's chakra nearby and turned as he proffered a bottle of water and paper towel. She rinsed her mouth and used the rest of the water to dampen the paper towel so that she could clean and cool her face.

"Are you okay to walk? The hotel is a distance. I could rent a rickshaw–"

"I think I'm done throwing up. We can walk. I'm really sorry about this, Kakashi."

"You know, I was joking about you not being able to hold your drink, Sakura. Has this happened before?"

Sakura looked at him sharply. His feeble attempt at a joke was lost on her. "I'm not drunk, Kakashi. Do I need to prove it to you?"

Kakashi smiled as he took her arm and led her down the path. "I know. Usually you like my jokes. I'll come back for our stuff later. Let's get you home."

...o...o...o...o...

Sakura insisted on drinking a glass of water when they returned to the ryokan, but couldn't keep it down. At that point she agreed that perhaps she was a bit more sick than she'd assumed. She even allowed him to help her undress. Well, the first few layers, at least. He laughed when he saw the towel tied around her waist and she promptly banished him. She probably would have thrown him out at that point anyway– the girl did cherish her modesty. It had been amusing, though, unwrapping her like a present covered in many layers of tissue paper, despite the fact that she was feeling unwell. Even miserable she was attractive.

Sakura invited Kakashi back into her room only after she'd put on a cotton nightshirt, one that was no where near as invitingly cut as the one she'd woken in.

"Do you have any idea what's wrong?" Kakashi asked. He hated sickness almost as much as he hated hospitals. It wasn't the germs, though, or the smells that made sickness unbearable. It was the feeling of total uselessness. There wasn't much he could do to help her.

"I don't know. I need to take my temperature." She opened the closet to retrieve her pack, then rummaged through her medic's vest. She removed a glass thermometer from its hard, unbreakable plastic case, shook the instrument down and stuck it under her tongue. Kakashi pulled back her futonji and helped her into bed.

She spoke some minutes later. "39.4 degrees. That's strange. I shouldn't have that much of a fever if it's food poisoning."

"How would you have gotten food poisoning?"

"No idea. If I do have it, you should, too– we've been eating the same thing. Maybe it's a stomach bug– but I don't have all the symptoms for that. And who would I have caught it from? And the fever is too high. Oh, well. I guess it doesn't matter. I'm sure I'll be fine by tomorrow. I usually don't stay sick for long."

"Do you have any fever reducers with you?"

"I think I might have a little bit of willow bark left."

"I'll get some boiling water from the kitchen." At last, something he could do to make himself useful.

"Could you get some ice chips, too?"

"Hai."

Where's the willow bark? Sakura asked herself as she rummaged through her medic's vest. The vial was empty. Great. Why hadn't she thought to check her supplies before they'd left on this trip?

_Stupid, stupid, stupid. Some medic-nin you are, Sakura._

Kakashi returned bearing a tray containing a vacuum flask, two teacups, a glass, a bucket of crushed ice, and several porcelain spoons. He set the tray on the floor by her bed and knelt next to the feverish kunoichi.

"Willow bark?"

Sakura looked at him sheepishly. "All out."

Kakashi smirked, then rose and walked to the bathroom, raising his voice so that he could be heard. "I'll go get you some. We passed an apothecary on the way back here. Is there anything else I can get you?" He returned with a tall stack of towels and the bathroom's plastic-lined trash can. He placed the trash can at the head of Sakura's bed, and then arranged the towels into a path, of sorts, from her bed to the bathroom across the hall.

"Gee, thanks, Mom. You're the best." She frowned. "This is so embarrassing."

"It's embarrassing to be sick?"

"No. It's embarrassing to be weak. And I've ruined things, haven't I?" She looked ready to cry.

"No, Sakura, you haven't. Will you be okay by yourself for a little while?"

"I'm going to sleep. My head is really beginning to hurt."

"Are you sore? Do you think its flu?"

"Only children vomit when they have the flu. You're thinking of stomach flu, which is totally different. Stomach flu is the stomach bug I was talking about. I'd have cramps and diarrhea. And the fever wouldn't be so high. Damn, my head hurts." Mini-lecture complete, she closed her eyes and Kakashi took that as his cue to exit. She should probably add "irritable" to her list of symptoms, he thought.

Kakashi quickly changed into clothes more appropriate for moving efficiently and set off towards the town. The apothecary was not far away, but Kakashi took advantage of the fact that Sakura was sleeping to travel a bit further to retrieve the blanket and hamper from the riverside park. The sake had disappeared during their absence, he noticed, but everything else was intact. Apparently the park's revelers were more thirsty than hungry.

The herbalist on duty at the apothecary was extremely helpful, suggesting a tea of gingerroot and kuzu to help with the nausea. And delightfully enough, there was a video store right next door to the apothecary. Kakashi sauntered in, greeted the shopkeeper and asked if he had any _Icha, Icha_ movies in stock.

"All of them. Of course," the owner had said with a wink.

"Oh, so you've seen them? You know, they were filmed in Suna. Hard to believe, isn't it? They made it look just like Fire Country."

"Yes, their weather is so different from ours. It probably cost a small fortune to make it look so green and fertile."

The shopkeeper reached under the counter and pulled out all five _Icha, Icha_ DVDs. "I can tell you're a man of discretion. Are you interested in the Suna versions?" he asked conspiratorily.

Kakashi smiled. Suna's censorship laws were more lax than the archaic laws of Fire Country. That was why Jiraiya's production company filmed there. The copy ninja handed a small stack of notes to the shopkeeper and walked off with a small stack of discs (discretely wrapped in brown paper) and a smile on his face. Although he'd seen each _Icha, Icha_ movie a minimum of twenty times, they'd been somewhat frustrating to watch in Konoha. All the good parts were either edited out or blurred. But what luck that their suite had televisions– and flat screens at that. Sakura's sudden illness would have a silver lining, at least.

Kakashi hurried back to the ryokan and into Sakura's darkened room. She'd closed the blinds, and had her head hidden under the futonji, as she'd done this morning. Kakashi quickly made her a tisane of willow-bark, then added some ice to it, to cool it down. The herbalist had told him cool liquids were tolerated better than warm in cases of nausea.

"Sakura?" She didn't hear him. Kakashi leaned in to shake her gently, taking ahold of one of her hands as he did so. It was ice cold. She'd been so warm only thirty minutes earlier. He laid his hand against her forehead. It was burning up. "Sakura!" Her eyes opened slowly and she blinked several times.

"You're back already? My head hurts."

"Drink slowly, but drink it all."

"Yes, Dr. Hatake." She sat up and did as he asked, then settled back against the pillows and sighed. "I don't think I deserve you as a friend."

"Funny. That's what I usually think about you."

"Really?" She smiled as she closed her eyes. She was quickly asleep.

Sakura might be annoyed if she woke to see Kakashi enjoying the frolicking women of_ Icha, Icha Paradise_ on the flat screen TV in her room. On the other hand, she didn't seem to mind his constant reading as much as she had years ago, and he really thought he should keep an eye on her. Kakashi grabbed some pillows from his bed, some rice crackers from his pack, and settled next to the sleeping Sakura after loading the first disc and grabbing the remote. What a wonderful technology. The televisions at headquarters used dials to change the channel and recorded using bulky tapes. There were no remote controls. This was so much more civilized.

The Suna version of the movie really was much better, Kakashi thought as the film began. The entire first scene had been removed from the edited version, and it disrupted the story line completely. It really didn't make much sense for Arashi Junko to be surrounded by women without knowing that he had stumbled upon a nomadic caravan and had been enticed inside the harem. And my, how he had been enticed. Jiraiya's first book had been a masterpiece, and the movie– this version, anyway– had stayed true to the master's vision. The women, of course, all had Tsunade's figure, but Jiraiya or his director must have decided that a host of Tsunade look-alikes (from the neck up, at least) would be disconcerting to the audience, or hard to follow. Or perhaps Jiraiya had been afraid of the possible consequences of showing the face of his unrequited love on the silver screen. Despite this small change from the total perfection of the book, this movie version was wonderful, and was over too soon. He'd really need to get a TV and DVD player. It would probably cost him six months' salary (these were Snow Country imports, he saw), but it would be well worth the expense.

Kakashi stretched and looked over at Sakura. The herbalist had specified that Sakura should take the willow-bark preparation every two hours, and the other remedy every four. He should wake her. She really didn't look much better, he thought, pulling back the futonji, which must be much too warm, given her fever. Her hair was sweaty. Kakashi pushed several damp strands away from her face, feeling her forehead as he did so. She seemed worse.

"Sakura. Wake up." He shook her gently until she roused. "I need to take your temperature again. Open up." He placed the glass rod under her tongue and prepared her medications.

"How do you feel?"

"Huh?" She removed the thermometer, and tried for a moment to focus on it. "Too sleepy." She rolled onto her side.

Kakashi read the thermometer and quickly left the room. 40.5 degrees. The willow bark didn't seem to be doing much. He grabbed a washcloth and returned to her side, laying the cloth over her forehead.

"Sakura?" Kakashi's voice was gentle. "I need you to drink the tea I've made you. Come on. Sit up."

"Don't be so loud. I told you I have a headache." She took the beverage from him and sipped it slowly.

"You should drink this one, too." He handed her the tisane of gingerroot and kuzu.

"This tastes even worse than the willow bark. Blech." She finished the tisane and lay back down. Kakashi replaced the damp cloth on her forehead.

"Sakura. Your temperature is 40.5. Is that a problem?"

She seemed a little more alert now. "That's not so good. Wake me in half an hour and we can check it again." She closed her eyes and Kakashi lay down next to her. He shouldn't watch another movie– not until Sakura was doing a little better. He'd gotten totally immersed in the first when he should have been checking Sakura frequently. It was why he was in her room, after all. Kakashi picked up his book instead and decided to limit himself to reading one chapter, just once. He wouldn't read and reread the juicy parts as he normally did.

He was quickly interrupted, though by Sakura, who bolted upright in bed and emptied the contents of her stomach into the trash can.

This is getting worrisome, thought Kakashi. She'd never get her fever down if the vomiting continued. And she needed fluids or she'd become dehydrated. He looked at Sakura and noticed she had barely woken up. She seemed slightly dazed and her eyes were not quite focused.

Kakashi ran to the bathroom and began to fill the tub, then ran back and scooped up Sakura in his arms. She didn't complain or seem the slightest bit embarrassed as he quickly removed her night clothes and set her, naked, into the bath. The water was tepid, slightly lower than normal temperature, and should help, if Kakashi was correctly remembering his first aid. She seemed listless, not quite awake but not quite asleep. He kept her there for a half-hour, and did his best to cool her off, occasionally pouring water over her hair and running a washcloth over her face. The rest of his time he spent silently regarding the woman he loved.

When she'd left the park bench this afternoon, Kakashi had thought, for a moment, that Sakura was rejecting him, that she'd guessed what he was about to say and had decided to intercede before the words left his mouth. He'd been shocked and disappointed for that moment. He hadn't expected things to go that way. He'd thought that she would blush when he asked her if she thought they might try being together, and that she'd look at him with shining eyes when he explained that he was in love with her. That she'd say she felt the same. But at the end of that moment, she'd thrown up spectacularly, and he realized he was completely off target. Something else was wrong.

Kakashi checked Sakura's temperature again. The bath had brought her fever down by a degree. She still seemed completely out of it. He dried Sakura with the only towel remaining in the bathroom, then dressed her in a t-shirt, as her nightshirt was soaked in sweat. He felt somewhat strange to be doing so, particularly when it came to her panties. But certainly she'd understand. She was a medic, after all. She did stuff like this almost every day. Kakashi waited another half hour, then tried to wake her again. Finally, he propped her up in bed and slapped her face gently. Sakura awoke enough to drink the willow bark, which he'd brewed more strongly, so she'd have less liquid to keep down. He'd try the other concoction in a while, if she was able to keep the first down.

He moved Sakura over to his side of the bed, as her side was sweat-soaked, and took apart her bedroll in search of a lighter weight blanket. Apparently there _was_ some benefit in carrying a "summer bedroll." He pulled a sheet and a loosely-woven blanket over Sakura, and sat on the floor next to her, reading. This, he could see, was going to be an all-nighter.

...o...o...o...o...

"You don't understand." Kakashi awoke from his place on the tatami mat to see Sakura sitting up in bed, talking. It was hard to see in the darkened room, but she appeared to be wide awake.

"Understand what, Sakura?"

"I know you like him, but he isn't right for me." She paused, as though listening to a reply. "But that's not enough! I know you didn't marry Dad for that reason. You were in love. I want to be in love, too. I don't just want to love someone. I want to find someone who feels the same way about me. I want to find that person who will complete me. Don't you want that for me?"

Sasuke. Sakura had never mentioned that she had argued with her mother about their breakup. She hadn't said much at all as she'd cried into his vest. And there hadn't been much Kakashi could do to help her, besides holding her. And that was all he could do now. Pull her into his arms and whisper comforting words to her.

_I want to be in love, too._ Sakura's words echoed in Kakashi's ears. Back then, before he'd left her, she hadn't been afraid to love. Even after years of failure with Sasuke, her heart had still been open.

"Hush, Sakura. Everything's okay." He stroked her still-damp hair and kissed her cheek.

_I'll make everything okay._

"Why won't you listen to me?" Her voice was louder, her fists clenched. "He doesn't love me. He never did and he never will. Why would you want me to stay with someone like that?"

She was sobbing now. "It almost seems like you care about him more than me. Aren't you supposed to put me first?" She pushed Kakashi away, sure that he was someone else.

"Sssh. Darling." His words didn't seem to be helping.

"How is that putting me first?"

She was as feverish as she'd been earlier. Another bath was in order. Kakashi gently pulled her towards him and attempted to pick her up. She struggled against him.

"I'm not a child anymore! I haven't been a child since my first C-class mission!" When Haku and Zabuza had been killed. After Kakashi had seen death for the first time, he'd lost his childhood, too. He placed Sakura in the tub before even filling it up, not even bothering to remove her clothes this time. She shivered upon touching the cold porcelain. Kakashi flipped on the light switch and she cried out and hid her face.

"Sakura?"

"Turn off the light!" She attempted to get out of the tub. Kakashi quickly turned off the light, then held her down with one hand as he opened the taps. What the hell was wrong with her? He ran the water a slightly colder this time. He didn't dare try to take her temperature in the state she was in. She'd probably break the thermometer between her teeth and poison herself.

Kakashi held Sakura to himself as he spoke soothing words. He felt her relax against him, then begin to cry again.

"Kakashi."

"Sakura? How do you feel?"

"Don't leave me Kakashi. Please."

"I'll never leave you, Sakura."

"Why are you leaving?" Her eyes were wide with shock. He'd thought she'd come out of it. "What did I do? _What did I do?_ Please... don't go." She looked lost. Broken. Heartbroken.

What had he done to her? He'd been so cowardly, so selfish. This was his fault. He'd left and she'd changed from an open, loving girl, to a woman afraid, a person too hurt to reach out again. He wasn't able to face the fact that he was in love with a sixteen-year old and he'd run away, damning her. He'd damaged her, changed her, perhaps irreparably. And honestly, he didn't deserve her.

_She needs you, Hatake._ _Don't run away again._

"Sakura, I'm not leaving. I won't leave. I love you." A part of her seemed to hear his words. She pressed against him, tears further drenching his already wet shirt. He kissed her then, tenderly, feeling no guilt at stealing something so intimate from her.

He needed to find a doctor. She seemed more restful now, and not as warm to the touch, but her temperature had decreased after the previous bath, then risen again. She definitely wasn't improving. Delirium couldn't be a good sign. It probably meant she was getting worse.

Kakashi stripped Sakura down and dried her as best he could with the towel he'd used earlier. He picked up one of the towels he'd used to construct the "path" to her bed, and ran it through her hair, then carried her back to her bedroom and laid her on the bed. He rummaged through her pack for something lightweight and comfortable to wear, but found nothing. He grabbed a t-shirt of his own and put it on her, then lay down next to her. His presence seemed to soothe her.

He watched her sleep for a while, then crept from her room and hurried to the lobby. A different concierge greeted him, but he was as helpful as the other, and listened with concern as Kakashi told him of his urgent need for a physician. The concierge dispatched a doorman into town and spoke reassuringly to the worried shinobi.

"He'll be here soon. He's used to late night emergencies. Go back and rest, and I'll escort him myself to your suite."

...o...o...o...o...

"When did this start?"

"She mentioned feeling nauseated this morning, and skipped breakfast. She started throwing up around three. The headache and fever started a little while after. I haven't been able to bring it down much."

"Cool compresses?"

"Yes, and willow bark tea and tepid baths. She's had a hard time keeping down the tea."

"Well, let's try to wake her."

"Sakura?" Kakashi shook her again, and saw the look of concern on the physician's young face. The man grabbed some ice from the cooler and placed it in Kakashi's hand.

"This should work. Run it along her neck."

Sakura awoke with a start, but seemed quite confused, although she recognized her friend.

"Kakashi? Who is this person? Tell him to go away. I'm tired."

"Sakura, this is a doctor. He needs to examine you."

"Sakura, sit up please. I'm going to look into your eyes. Look over my shoulder please."

"That hurts! Stop it! Please!" She slapped at the light source with one hand as she covered her eyes with the other. The physician shut off his penlight, and spoke calmly. "Sakura, can you press your chin to your chest?"

She tried. "It hurts."

"Try to straighten your legs." He'd noticed they were half-bent.

"I– I can't. What did you do to them?" She was becoming agitated again.

Kakashi knelt down to comfort her, and spoke to her softly. "You're going to be fine, Sakura. Now rest." She stilled almost immediately, and closed her eyes.

The physician turned to Kakashi and motioned that they should leave the room.

"You're a ninja, aren't you?" the physician asked when they'd left the room.

"I really can't answer that."

"I think you just did." He looked at Kakashi's eye patch. Do you still have the eye?"

"Yes."

"You're lucky. That's some scar." Scar? The henge jutsu must have partially unravelled.

"So...Sakura?" Kakashi was impatient, and felt no need to shoot the breeze with a civilian. Certainly not when Sakura was ill.

"Where did you travel from?"

"South. Obviously." They were in the far northern portion of the country, after all.

"Did you pass through Otenka?"

"Hai, yesterday. Why are we talking travel?" Kakashi glared at the man.

"Two Otenkan infants died yesterday. Their bodies were brought to the hospital today for autopsies. Did Sakura come in contact with anyone while you were there?"

"A little girl. Deaths from what?"

"Your friend needs to be hospitalized. I'm almost positive that she has meningitis. Did the little girl cough on her?"

"I don't know. She did throw up on her."

"That's not a known way to transmit the disease." He frowned. "But it does seem like she has it."

"The deaths, doctor. Are you saying they were from meningitis?"

"Meningitis is very serious in children, especially in infants. But there are different forms of the disease– in adults, some are worse than others. The cases in Otenka were bacterial meningitis."

"And that means–?" This was frustrating. The man spoke as obliquely as _he_ did.

"It can be fatal, even for adults." Kakashi's eye widened in shock.

_Fatal?_

"Unfortunately, we don't have the drugs that some of our neighboring countries do. We can't easily kill bacteria. Our researchers have found a fungus that works in some cases of infection, but it isn't tolerated well, and it hasn't been successful against this form of meningitis. Our hospital is not what you are used to, either. We obviously don't have chakra-trained medics, as we're not a hidden village. We do have technology. Snow is willing to sell us that, but not their medicines."

"What are you telling me?" The ninja's voice raised in anger and disbelief.

"We'll do our best to treat her. We'll cool her body down, give her IV fluids so she doesn't become dehydrated and raise the chances that her body can fight off the infection."

"But? I can tell there's a 'but.'"

"She may end up deaf or brain-damaged."

Kakashi stared, stricken, unable to speak. This wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening. Konoha would be a two-and-a-half-day trek with no breaks if he were running full out and carrying Sakura. But what other options did he have?

_Snow country._

"Yukigakure. It's not that far from here, is it?"Kawahana was close to the northern border of Fire Country. Surely he could make it to the Village Hidden in the Snow in a reasonable amount of time.

"It's sixty kilometers. You're right– Snow has the antibiotics you need. Their doctors and medics would be able to save her. But the border is closed, and it would take you days to walk. The illness has come on so rapidly. In cases like this, the first forty-eight hours are critical. She'll be dead before you get to Yakigakure. I'm sorry." The physician turned and began packing his bag. "I'll send a litter for her immediately, and we'll do the best we can."

"No. That won't be necessary. We're going to Yukigakure. I'm not going to let her die." The physician looked at him incredulously.

"You'll never get there in time."

"I will." Kakashi escorted the doctor to the door, then rapidly dressed Sakura in her jounin clothes, and began to back up their belongings. He put on his standard-issue blue pants and shirt, then hurried down to the lobby to talk to the concierge. It was the elderly man he'd met the night before. The man stood as he approached, clearly seeing the panic writ across Kakashi's face. Kakashi quickly explained his situation. He'd realized there was no way he'd be able to carry both Sakura and their packs. The old man was quite accommodating. The border was directly north, Kakashi learned, and Yukikagure was 10 km north of that, where the Kawayuki river turned east. It was relatively flat terrain, or so the concierge had heard, and wooded for most of the distance. He could follow the river the entire way. The concierge told Kakashi that he could leave their things in the suite, and he'd make sure they were stored someplace safe until their return.

"You're a good man. I can tell. And I can see how much you love her. As much as she loves you."

Kakashi looked at the man, startled at his words. When had he seen them together?

"I saw you at the festival," the man added. "Good luck to you. Safe travel."

Kakashi returned to the suite, and calmed himself. It would be stupid to forget something critical in his rush to set off.

What else did he need? Water. Money. Weapons. Papers. He released the henge jutsu, strapped on his hitae-ate and kunai pouch, and attached his shuriken holster. He removed Sakura's medic's vest from her pack and put it on her, then shrugged on his own green jounin vest. He belatedly remembered the herbs and thermometer and stuffed them into his own clothes. Water. He filled both canteens and slung them from his waist. Money. He split the cash he carried between his own and Sakura's vests.

His normal calm, almost lethargic demeanor had evaporated. Kakashi was as filled with adrenaline as if he were about to engage in battle. And in a way, he was about to do so.

Almost ready.

Kakashi went to the tansu, pulled out stationery and pen and quickly scrawled a note.

Satisfied that details taken care of, Kakashi carried Sakura outside, and set her on a garden bench. Then he bit down on his thumb and summoned Pakkun.

"Take this to Tsunade, as quickly as possible. Wait for her response, then find me. We're heading north to Snow Country."

"What's the matter? I've never seen you this upset."

"It's Sakura."

Pakkun sniffed the unconscious kunoichi. "She's hot, really hot. Is she dying?" His question was blunt, but well-intended.

"She will if I don't get moving." Kakashi tucked the note he'd written into the zipped compartment on Pakkun's collar and sent him on his way with a word of thanks. Then the ninja hoisted Sakura onto his back, and ran off into the night.


	25. Urgency

_Disclaimer: Naruto and associated characters are property of Masashi Kishimoto. They are not my property!_

**Fourteen Dates **

_Author's note: If I'd known putting Sakura in a life-or-death situation would have resulted in so many reviews in so short a time, I'd have done it much sooner! Just kidding. Thanks to everyone who reviewed-- you really made my day. I'm glad you're enjoying the story. I'm certainly enjoying writing it, and I just noticed it has now passed the 100,000 words mark. I'd say I have at least 50,000 words left to go. Hope you can bear with me!_

**Chapter 25–Urgency**

Sixty kilometers. The record for a civilian athlete running a race of that length was three hours. A race that long– an ultra-marathon– was one hundred fifty percent as long as a normal marathon race, and not possible for many runners. And this record time of three hours presumed a level pavement, proper footwear, and breaks for sustenance, not to mention an absence of baggage.

Of course Kakashi wasn't an athlete, or a civilian. He was wearing inflexible winter boots, not running shoes, and the forest floor was anything but level. He had water, but no food. In addition to this, he was carrying a fair amount of baggage on his back, in the form of Haruno Sakura. Kakashi was a shinobi, however, and thanks to his "eternal rival's" incessant challenges, he had run a 60 kilometer distance (24 times around Konoha's walls, to be exact) on many occasions, often in half the civilian record time. He'd never done so carrying a woman, however.

He carried Sakura piggyback. He'd decided his center of gravity would be too far forward should he carry her in front. This might lead to a nasty spill, and if he did fall, Sakura would take the brunt of it. A fireman's carry was also out of the question. It seemed likely that being slung head-down over his shoulders would cause Sakura to vomit, and he certainly didn't want her to become any more dehydrated. So piggyback was the remaining option. The problem was that she was barely conscious and her hands kept slipping from around his neck. As his hands were otherwise occupied holding her legs in place, his pace had slowed each time her arms had dropped and head lolled backwards, so that he could readjust her position.

Kakashi stopped after a while, and dug through the pockets of his vest for something suitable to secure her to him. He had no rope, but he did find some wire. Her medic's vest should protect her from the biting cuts into her flesh that the wire was likely to make otherwise. The council had decided some time ago that it was worth the expense to line medics' vests with an unusual synthetic white fabric (from Snow Country, of course) that acted like chain mail. Regular jounin were not yet afforded this luxury, but Kakashi had concerns about yet another scar across his chest as he secured the wire tightly around their torsos.

It was a clear night, which was lucky, and the forest was dense enough to provide cover, yet sparse enough in places for Kakashi to find his bearings against the north star. He ran close to the river, though not at its bank. The footing was certainly more stable there, but the risk of exposure was far too great. The night was cold, though above freezing, but he was now far north enough that snow still clung to branches and patches of ground that were shaded by day, despite the near sea-level elevation.

An hour into his journey, Kakashi stopped to check on Sakura and to get some sorely needed refreshment. He unfastened Sakura from her improvised bindings, set her gently against a tree trunk, then tried to awaken her. It took several minutes, and it was clear she wasn't herself when she did wake. She didn't recognize him, but she was fairly sedate. He decided to risk taking her temperature, and busied himself with the tasks of self-rejuvenation and medicine preparation. He half-emptied his first canteen in his thirst, before using a toned-down version of the chidori jutsu to warm the container's remaining water. As he did so, Kakashi saw the chakra ball's glow shimmer across Sakura's features. Something was very wrong. He knelt down carefully, and moved the ball of pulsing energy a bit closer to her face. It was her eyes– the pupils were dilated abnormally. One was large, while the other was quite constricted. Neither seemed to change when he moved the chidori away from her, then back again, although she did avert her eyes and cry out softly in pain. He had no idea what this new development signified, but it couldn't be a change for the better.

Kakashi added the remaining willow bark to the canteen, and then some snow to cool the steeping tisane. He checked the thermometer. 41 degrees, higher than her temperature had been at the ryokan. Brain damage would begin at 42 degrees, he knew. What was he going to do? He'd run quickly; this should have cooled her down at least a bit, considering the effects of wind chill. She wasn't dressed particularly warmly, after all. Perhaps if he dampened her skin slightly, she might cool a bit more as the breeze evaporated the water. Thankfully, she wasn't shivering. To do so would cause her body's vessels to restrict, in an attempt to retain her body's heat. Kakashi recognized the fine line he was walking in trying to cool her safely.

Kakashi held the canteen to Sakura's lips and urged her to drink. She complied readily, and didn't complain when Kakashi poured some water from the other canteen into his hands and rubbed it against her face, arms and legs. She seemed quite peaceful, actually, quite different from the agitated girl of hours before.

"Sakura? Are you with me?"

"When will we make camp? It's late, isn't it?" At least she was partially aware now; she'd apparently recognized that they were outside. Kakashi tried to keep her talking.

"Are you hungry for ramen?" That should surely elicit a response.

"Is Naruto here? He cooks the best ramen. As good as Ichiraku, almost."

"It's cup ramen, I'm afraid."

"It's always cup ramen. I hate cup ramen. My head hurts. Why does it hurt so much? Did I fall?"

"Sakura, do you think you can stay awake?"

"It hurts to keep my eyes open. I'm so tired." Sakura's eyelids fluttered shut.

"Sakura. Stay with me." Kakashi's voice was sharp, betraying the urgency he felt. Over the past hours, it seemed to be getting harder and harder to wake her. Better to keep her awake, he thought, than have her completely lose consciousness.

"Kakashi?" She frowned, eyes still closed, as she recognized his voice. "Why are you angry at me?"

"I'm not angry, Sakura." His voice was gentle, soothing. "But I need your help, Sakura. Will you stay up with me?"

"We should be sleeping. It's late. Everyone else is already asleep. The fire is so warm..."

"I'm on watch, and I don't think I can do it alone. Will you help me?"

"Sure, Kakashi." Sakura's smiled sleepily. "Anything for you."

"Why don't you tell me about where you'd like me to take you on vacation? Your choice, Sakura– anywhere you like. Grab hold of my neck." He lifted Sakura onto his back and leaned over so that she draped over him, and quickly refastened the wire he'd used to bind them.

"I was hoping we were going to the beach. I want to see sea stars and anemones."

"Well, then that's where we'll go. What else would you like to do?" He set off running.

"Why are you carrying me, Kakashi?"

"Because we're in a hurry, and you can't run."

"Oh. You smell nice."

_She thinks sweat and panic smell nice. I love this woman._

"Tell me where you'd like me to take you to dinner."

"Tempura. Definitely tempura. I could eat it every day."

Kakashi realized he would gladly eat deep-fried, panko-breaded cardboard every meal for the rest of his days if doing so would save her life tonight.

"Sounds great. What else?"

"I'd like to try a steak from a sake-fed cow. And I've never eaten someplace really fancy. And chocolate. I love chocolate."

"Mmm. Good idea."

"Kakashi?"

"Yes?"

"I think I need to throw up."

...o...o...o...o...

They were within ten kilometers of the border, Kakashi thought. He'd done his job for so long that he could measure distances run fairly accurately, even when he was forced to move more slowly. There was still no sign of Pakkun, though. It should have been a simple matter for the ninken to substantiate in Konoha, then transition back to the far north. He might have lost their scent, but this didn't seem likely. Despite the fact that he had the squished-in sinuses of a pug, Pakkun's sense of smell was second to none. And Sakura had inadvertently laid a trail for him to follow. Kakashi had realized belatedly that talking about food had not been such a good idea. But small talk was not easy for him– he had been lucky to find anything to talk about at such short notice. He was a man of deeds, not words, after all.

Kakashi was not concerned about crossing the border itself. There might be actual checkpoints, but as a ninja, these were not a concern. The border guards would never see him, even carrying Sakura. The teleportation jutsu was extremely useful in such circumstances, despite its short range. And genjutsu could be used to divert the guards' attention.

His real concern was the shinobi guard waiting at the gates of the village hidden in the snow. They would sight him from kilometers away, and without some kind of entree from Konoha's hokage, they would never admit Kakashi or Sakura. Safety was the paramount concern in a hidden village. It was completely normal that even a critically-ill shinobi would be regarded with suspicion. Added to this was the fact that Snow and Fire were barely allies.

There had been talks in recent years about strengthening the tenuous relationship between the two nations, but not much had come of them. At this time, Snow Country was a rather one-sided trading partner of Fire Country. They were happy to sell certain types of technology, but held back others, and their imports were limited to the raw materials they could not obtain from their own soil. They were a highly secretive nation, although on several occasions they had made use of Fire's renowned shinobi. Konoha's team 7 had been instrumental in bringing their popular monarchy back to power. Fire Country was a super-power however, and dwarfed Snow in both size, population, and military power. It was understandable, therefore, that both Snow and its hidden village would be leery of interaction with Fire. Kakashi doubted that even his and Sakura's participation in the reinstallation of Snow's monarchy would make the village council any more likely to grant them admittance to the village. It seemed more likely that they would view their past assistance as an affront to their own skills.

He was definitely at the border now. He saw several signs that the otherwise unremarkable area was being patrolled heavily, though by civilians: numerous broken branches, trampled undergrowth, footprints, even litter. He smelled Pakkun before he saw him.

"You finally made it."

"Good to see you, too." Pakkun growled in displeasure, but seeing Kakashi's stricken face, he quickly adopted a more conciliatory tone. "I had a hard time leaving Konoha-- Tsunade was almost hysterical. Her office now looks directly into the reception area, by the way. How is Sakura?"

Kakashi shrugged as he reached down and unzipped Pakkun's collar, pulling out a small scroll, a larger, ornately decorated one, and a roll of cash. "I really don't know. A little worse, I think." He unrolled the first scroll and quickly read its hurried writing.

_Kakashi– I have no doubt that you will do everything in your power to take care of Sakura, and will not allow her to die. Enclosed is a letter of entry to Snow's Hidden Village. They recognize is as authentic, not only by my seal, but also due to the information included. Ask for the help of their chief medic, Sota Junko. I trust her completely to do whatever is possible to save Sakura's life. Junko and I trained together, long ago, and have corresponded regularly. Her skills are unsurpassed. Consider this a direct order: under no conditions are you to rush back to Konoha– meningitis is debilitating and Sakura will need plenty of time to recover. You may, however, leave Snow as soon as it is appropriate to do so. Funds are enclosed. Keep me apprised of my apprentice's progress, and tell her that she is in my thoughts and those of the village. Gokoun o inorimasu. --Godaime Tsunade, Kage no Konohagakure no Sato_

"You love her, don't you?" Kakashi nodded with glazed eyes. "Ganbare yo!"

"Thank you, friend." Kakashi sprinted the remaining ten kilometers to Yukigakure

"Hold on, Sakura. Almost there."

...o...o...o...o...

Kakashi was surprised when they didn't place Sakura into the intensive care unit, considering how quickly she'd been removed from his arms when he arrived at the hospital. The sense of urgency among the staff was palpable, and Kakashi heard the number "42" whispered frequently. He stood in the waiting area, helpless and coiled and coiled with tension, until a small, white-haired woman called his name and beckoned him to join her. Despite his anxiety, Kakashi smiled when he realized that Sota Junko was a woman, unlike her _Icha, Icha_ _Paradise_ namesake. It was hard, in fact, to imagine her as a ninja. She was the soft, grandmotherly type, with a face full of wrinkles that attested to her tendency to smile. Tsunade had written that her skills were unsurpassed. Surely her comfortable, unassuming bedside manner was a part of her success. It was Junko's decision, he learned, to keep Sakura out of the ICU. There were turf wars, she explained, between the hospital's doctors and medics, and should Sakura be assigned to the ICU, it was likely that one or more probes would be implanted through her skull. This, in Junko's opinion, was medically unnecessary. After placing Sakura into a cool bath, she had knelt at her side and allowed her chakra to flow just below the younger medic's skull, so that she might examine the condition of her meninges.

"Isn't what you're doing reliant on a forbidden jutsu? Entering her brain?" Kakashi asked cautiously.

"No, not at all. I'm not entering Sakura's brain, only examining the membrane that surrounds it. I am not able to get past that barrier." The sixty-odd year old looked at Kakashi shrewdly. "To tell the truth, I didn't know such a jutsu existed. It's been years since I worked with Tsunade. It sounds like I owe her a visit. But how would you know about such a forbidden medical jutsu?"

"I encountered it while dealing with a rogue ninja. I learned it was forbidden during my debrief with Tsunade-sama," Kakashi hedged. His prowess at deceit did come in handy every now and then. He then quickly changed the subject, another tactic he'd mastered long ago. "What is wrong with these membranes?"

"They're inflamed, presumably because of a bacterial infection. Viral infections typically don't progress this fast. Her body is trying to fight the infection by increasing her temperature, but things are out of control. If you hadn't brought her in when you did..." She looked him directly in the eyes. "You saved her life, Hatake-san."

"Then she's okay?" Kakashi felt buoyed by a sudden wave of hope, but crashed down immediately at Junko's response.

"Not quite yet. I can feel quite a bit of pressure against her meninges, and therefore also against her brain. That's why she had the headache and why her eyes are behaving strangely. If she slips into a coma in the next few hours, it will be because her brain has been damaged substantially. If this happens, there is an extremely high chance she will die or never fully recover her cognitive functions. She might be blind or deaf, as well. You did well to keep her alert and cool. I think she's just sleeping now. I am hopeful, Hatake-san, that we can cure her. We have more effective fever-reducers than willow bark, so we should be able to keep her fever down. There's a substance we can introduce that will help to relieve the pressure, and we'll also use a steroid to reduce the inflammation. One thing we will have to do as soon as possible is a lumbar puncture."

"That means what?"

"We'll have to push a needle into her spine and remove some of the fluid I mentioned. Once we sample it, we'll look for the presence of bacteria."

"It sounds painful."

"It's not as bad as it sounds. Sometimes it causes a headache, but I doubt it would be any worse than the one she's been experiencing."

"But that headache is giving her incredible pain. If you're already sure it's a bacterial infection, why bother?" Kakashi's voice increased in volume. He knew from Tsunade's letter that her colleague was highly experienced– as well-trained as the Hokage– but he couldn't stomach the idea of Sakura enduring even more pain.

"I _am_ almost positive her infection is bacterial.' Junko spoke calmly and patiently. "But there are many different types of bacteria that could be the cause. Unfortunately, the medication that kills one bacteria may be useless against another. We'll start her on a combination of likely meds right away, and once we find out exactly what is causing her condition, we'll switch to the appropriate antibiotic."

"Antibiotic?"

"A class of medication we've developed that kills bacteria infecting wounds, the blood or the cerebrospinal fluid. You haven't heard of them because the government of Snow has been unwilling to share these medications with our neighbors. They see such refusal as a tactical advantage."

"But you are not at war."

"No, but the government will take any opportunity to strengthen itself against our larger neighbors, such as Sand and Fire. This is despite the fact that medic-nins discovered and developed antibiotics– hidden villagers, not the scientists of Snow's many research facilities. Our government is parallel to Snow's, not subservient. It was not Snow's decision to make." The medic frowned. "It is against the code of ethics for a medic-nin to deprive others of needed medicine or any other assistance. We seek to extinguish suffering, not further inflame it."

Junko, Kakashi realized, reminded him of both Rin and Sakura. All three shared the same passion to heal and nurture, as well as the drive to do what was right at any cost. "Yet you have been allowed to treat Sakura."

Junko did not answer immediately. Instead she inserted a device Kakashi had never seen before into Sakura's mouth. It beeped a moment later. Junko examined it and relaxed slightly. "Her temperature has dropped below the danger point, for now."

Junko leaned to lift Sakura out of the bath, wrapping her in the towel Kakashi held out. Under normal circumstances, she wouldn't have allowed him to remain in the room, but it was clear that the relationship between the young medic and shinobi was more than professional. Junko saw desperation in Kakashi's eye. It was her duty to tell him the truth, but she also did her best to allay his concerns.

"You were probably wondering about the delay when you arrived at the hospital. We were forewarned of your arrival, of course, by runners from the gate, but our conversation still took unnecessarily long. You should know that there are some who would rather that your friend not be treated." She sighed, and looked away. "But even if the others had not finally agreed– I had to plant the idea of an international incident to get them to do so, by the way– I would have treated Sakura. Even if it had meant disobeying a direct order. I owe Tsunade a lot, and as this woman is her apprentice, I will do anything in my power to restore her health."

"Sota-sama, we are in your debt." Kakashi bowed deeply, more deeply than he ever had before.

Kakashi took Sakura from the older medic's arms, and gently lay her on the bed, where a gown lay folded. He slipped her into the open-backed gown, and did his best to make sure she was comfortable. The bed was quite cool, he noticed. A pad that circulated ice water lay under the sheet, connected to a cooler and pump under the bed.

"When Sakura arrived, I thought I might need to insert a temperature probe to measure her cerebral temperature. Now that her temperature is down a bit, I think we can forgo that. We'll attach her to a monitor that measures her skin temperature, but that should be enough. I'll start her IV, then get the doctor who will do the lumbar puncture." She expertly inserted a cannula into Sakura's forearm, then turned to look at Kakashi again. "You have probably heard that meningitis is quite serious. The next day will be critical for Sakura. Know that I will do everything I can for her. But her condition is quite serious." Kakashi could not meet the medic's eyes, focusing instead on the ugly curtains that covered the window. "I am telling you this because you need to know the truth. But, keep hope, Hatake-san. There is no use in thinking otherwise." Junko turned to exit the room, but suddenly turned back to face him as she reached the door. "One last thing. You will need to take a course of antibiotics as well. It's likely that you have been exposed. A nurse will be by shortly to talk with you."

A nurse did come in quickly, but before talking to Kakashi, she busied herself with caring for Sakura. She attached a bag of fluids to Sakura's IV line, then connected Sakura to a number of monitors, brightly lighting the room before she did so. She did not seem to hear Sakura's mumbled cry of pain as the light bled through her eyelids– the nurse was too busy chatting up the interesting male in the room. She cheerily clipped a small device to Sakura's index finger-- to measure the oxygen in her blood, she told Kakashi, then attached several electrodes to Sakura's chest to monitor her heart rate. She wrapped a blood pressure cuff around Sakura's upper arm, then pulled a screen around her bed as she inserted a urinary catheter. Work complete, the nurse smiled coyly as she pulled back the screen and stripped off her gloves. After washing up, she passed Kakashi a pleated paper cup containing several white tablets.

Kakashi stood motionless, cup in hand, unwilling to turn around to remove his mask in relative privacy. He was not in the mood for what he expected to come next.

"You're the copy ninja, aren't you? I've heard all about you. You're quite famous, you know. For lots of reasons." She actually winked at him.

He had no time for flirting, even of the one-sided variety. "Yes, I am. And this is my fiancee." He flipped off the several lamps the nurse had lit. Even in the darkened room, the nurse's expression of dismay was visible. She quickly exited the room. Kakashi sighed and took the turquoise, vinyl-covered seat next to Sakura's bed.

_That particular lie is certainly coming in handy, Hatake. _

But it wasn't a lie, not really. Kakashi had realized that Sakura completed him. He wanted nothing other than to spend the rest of his life with her. Assuming she made it through this ordeal.

Things had changed so much in the past month. He was the infamous copy-ninja, the man so perverted that few dared approach. A man so aloof that few stayed around. A man, therefore, that few, if any, counted as a close friend. He hadn't wanted things any other way. He'd worked hard at his isolation, cultivated it, nurtured it. His shell had been stronger than armor-- shuriken-proof, katana-proof. It was ironic that Obito, who had been the catalyst in building this shell, had also been a key instrument in tearing it down. Obito had talked about the preeminent role of team members, and in doing so had changed Kakashi's outlook from that of arrogant prick to consummate teammate. Yet Obito's death had also led to Kakashi walling himself off even further from others. Yes, he put his comrades' safety first, but he didn't allow reciprocation. It was Obito's eye that had enabled Kakashi's long, stellar career, but it was also his eye that had caused Kakashi's path to cross Sakura's once more, and caused his long, self-imposed isolation to end. Obito's eye was a gift that kept on giving, it seemed.

"_You saved her life..."_

Junko's words were not words he'd heard before– not in the context of the lives of loved ones, anyway. He'd failed so many times when it came to this one task. Yes, he'd saved the lives of teammates countless times, and in the abstract, he'd saved Konoha many times over. But he'd always failed his loved ones. His father had died right before him, and he'd been unable to stop it. His mother had died, and he'd played a defining role in that tragedy, with his precocious arrogance and single-mindedness. Yondaime had died, sacrificing himself in a selfless act of last resort. Kakashi had fought that day and night until he'd collapsed from exhaustion, but it hadn't been enough. Obito had died as a result of Kakashi's selfish need to redeem his name by following the rules at any cost. And he hadn't been there for Rin, not once, not even to hold her hand as she died. He'd failed everyone he'd ever loved, through his thoughtlessness and selfishness, and now it was happening again.

"_You saved her life, Hatake-san."_

It wasn't true. He hadn't saved her life– Junko had made it abundantly clear that Sakura wasn't out of the woods yet. As someone who had spent most of his life in the woods, Kakashi understood more deeply than most the true meaning of this saying. Success in a small skirmish was meaningless if the enemy regrouped and ambushed. He was sure he hadn't saved her life. More likely, he'd prolonged her agony, delayed the inevitable by a few hours. He had sat in her bedroom watching a pornographic video while her temperature had steadily climbed. He should have been focused solely on her. He should have bathed her sooner, brought back the willow bark sooner. He should have left for Yukigakure hours sooner–two hours, to be exact. His selfishness was reprehensible, disgusting, and it might be the cause of Sakura's death. Kakashi realized with sudden clarity that he didn't know what he'd do if she died. Go insane with rage and self-loathing, perhaps. Kill himself, probably, insane or not. He knew he wouldn't be able to live without her.

...o...o...o...o...

It was a deadly-looking needle, thick as a senbon and easily as long. Kakashi had felt senbon puncture his flesh on many occasions. It was always unpleasant, particularly when it contacted a nerve. Worse still was when a senbon lodged in a joint. The pain was excruciating. He could only imagine how one would feel lodged between his vertebrae. Kakashi eyed the equipment the doctor placed next to him with distrust. Sakura didn't deserve more pain.

The doctor had quickly introduced himself, explaining the procedure in detail, and showing Kakashi the tools he'd be using as he set them up on a nearby tray. Then he asked Kakashi to wake up Sakura. Kakashi did so, talking to her gently as he stroked her face. She smiled as her eyes opened, apparently recognizing him.

"Kakashi? Is that you?" She blinked several times, as though trying to focus. She seemed groggy, but in her normal way. "Is it morning?"

"Yes. How are you feeling?"

She didn't answer his question. Anxiety colored her voice as she sensed her unfamiliar surroundings. "Where am I? What's wrong with my vision? It's so dark in here. Why won't my headache go away?" Her questions burst forth in rapid fire. She was talkative, at least. That had to be a good sign. Kakashi couldn't help smiling. Sakura seemed so much better. He hadn't needed to castigate himself. She was going to be okay.

"You're in the hospital, Sakura-chan. The doctor needs to run some tests to find out what's wrong. Can you pull your legs up to your chest?"

Sakura complied, unwittingly giving clear access to her vertebrae and the spaces between them.

"What's wrong with me? I feel horrible."

"They're trying to find out, Sakura-chan."

She felt the cool touch of antiseptic on her skin as the doctor swabbed an area in preparation for the puncture. Her voice filled with anxiety. "Kakashi, what's wrong with me? Why is someone touching my back?"

"Lumbar puncture," the doctor said in a steady voice. "I understand you're a medic. You've seen this before."

"What? Puncture?" Sakura tried to twist around to face the source of the unnamed voice, but could not. A pair of hands was holding her down. She tried to calm herself, but was unsuccessful. "I've never seen any type of puncture of the spine! Because we've never done it! Our understanding of the brain and spine is minimal. How can you be thinking of doing something so invasive? Who is this person, Kakashi? Where's Tsunade?"

"We're not in Konoha, Sakura. We're in Snow. In Yukigakure." Kakashi stroked her cheek, seeking to calm her agitation.

Junko moved to Sakura's side and touched her hand. "Sakura, my name is Sota Junko. I'm a medic. I trained with Tsunade– she's told me a lot about you. With me is Dr. Yamada."

Sakura twitched as a cold metal touched her skin. Why would he be puncturing her spinal canal? What would be the point of accessing her cerebrospinal fluid? It came to her slowly, through throbbing waves of pain. The headache. The vomiting. The fever and pain. The lost time. "Kuso. I have meningitis, don't I?"

"Hold steady, Haruno-san. Don't move at all. I'm numbing you now."

"Squeeze my hand, Sakura. Just don't break my bones."

She smiled weakly at Kakashi's attempt at humor and gritted her teeth as she felt the pressure of the needle. "How much longer?" Her voice strained and tears escaped through tightly closed eyes. She clung to the copy-ninja's hand.

"Almost there." Dr. Yamada removed the stylet from the needle, allowing a cloudy fluid to drip from the needle into several sterile test tubes. He capped each tube and placed them in a rack, then slowly pulled out the needle, pressing against the puncture with a square of gauze as he did so. "Your turn, Junko," he said abruptly as he rose. He scribbled notes on a chart before he left. Apparently there was not the best of feelings between the two health care practitioners.

Junko leaned over Sakura, and gently rolled her onto her stomach, allowing the soothing warmth of her chakra to comfort the young medic. Her chakra infused the site of the puncture, which quickly mended. "I'm going to roll you onto your back now, Sakura. You'll need to lie still to avoid a headache."

"I already have one. How much worse could it get?" She laughed weakly.

"Let's not tempt fate." Junko picked up Sakura's chart and inspected it. "You seem to be doing much better, Sakura. I'm looking forward to talking with you sometime soon about medicine."

Sakura's eyes were already closed. Junko quickly left the room.

"Kakashi?"

"Sakura-chan."

"I know it's weak to say this, but... I'm frightened."

"You're not weak, Sakura-chan." Kakashi sat down next to her and grabbed her hand. "Not in the slightest."

"What happened while I was out?"

"You were delirious. Your fever rose. I thought I'd never get you here in time." His calm words masked the torment he'd felt over the last day.

"But you did. Thank you, Kakashi." She rolled to face him and half-opened her eyes. "My eyes still hurt, and I've having trouble seeing."

"Then I'll just have to keep talking to you."

Sakura closed her eyes and smiled.

"This is hard for you."

"Hmm?" This _was _hard for him, harder than she knew.

"You were never much of a talker, Kakashi-kun."

He laughed. "I seem to talk a lot more when I'm around you. Or hadn't you noticed?"

"You're a regular social butterfly."

"Moth, more like."

"Hawk moth. They're nice. Perfect camouflage."

"I like moths. They're subtle."

"But there's not too much that's subtle about you, Kakashi-kun. I think I mis-spoke."

"There's plenty about me that's subtle. Ask any of the people I've fought. Oh, wait. You can't. My subtlety led to their demise. How would someone like _you _know about subtlety, anyway?"

"_I'm_ subtle." He snickered.at her protestation. "I _am_, Kakashi. Stop laughing."

"I don't think anyone with pink hair could be described as subtle, Sakura-chan. And then there's that monstrous strength thing. And your temper. No, you're definitely not subtle. And besides that..."

"What, Kakashi?"

"Nothing."

"Tell me. You're not being fair."

Kakashi paused. He'd promised himself he wouldn't hold back anymore. She needed to know how he felt. "You've really never noticed how people look at you?"

"I always thought they were looking at my forehead."

"Ino said that to be spiteful. Should we get out calipers and measure it?" That brought a smile to Sakura's lips. "If you got out more and listened to what people were saying, you'd know that you are considered by many to be the most gorgeous woman in Konoha."

There was something in his voice. Sakura gathered her courage and almost whispered her next question. "Is that what you think?"

There was a long silence. "Yes, actually. But I'm a little biased."

"Oh." Her smile disappeared. 'Biased,' he'd said– like a dad or an older brother. "Will you stay with me while I fall asleep? I'm so tired."

"I'm not going anywhere, Sakura-chan." He pulled down his mask and kissed her on the cheek, then settled back in the room's one chair and watched the emotions play across her face.

It was clear his comment about being biased has unsettled her, disappointed her in some way. Her voice had sounded so hopeful when she'd asked him what he thought, but his answer hadn't satisfied. He should have just said, 'Yes,' and closed his mouth. There was a reason he avoided prolonged conversations. They never turned out the way he intended.

She was asleep now, he saw. Kakashi slumped further into the shiny, loud chair (a fiasco of modern design– apparently Snow's technological prowess did not extend to furniture design), and closed his eyes, but not before taking Sakura's hand in his own and kissing it gently. Twenty-four more hours to get through. He prayed she would survive it.

**Glossary**

_panko_- a light, fluffy bread crumb used as a tempura coating

_Gokoun o inorimasu - _a formal way to wish someone good luck

_Ganbare yo!- _A casual way (male form) to wish someone good luck


	26. Dreams and Icha, Icha

_Disclaimer: Naruto and associated characters are property of Masashi Kishimoto. They are not my property!_

**Fourteen Dates **

_Author's note: Some Icha, Icha in here, but nothing too smutty. Yet. Thanks again to everyone who's reviewed!_

**Chapter 26–Dreams and Icha, Icha**

_The hall was dimly lit, as usual, dim the way he remembered it, the glazed green tile walls reflecting and scattering the little light that illuminated them. The smell was present, too, as usual. He didn't often recognize smells in his dreams, but in this particular one, his nose was assaulted with the sickly-sweet and slightly dizzying smell of formalin. He walked down the hall, unable to see through the windows set into the doors, as they were above his current height. However, this didn't matter because he knew his destination. It was the same every time– last set of double doors to the right. The person who'd accompanied him in real life was never in the dream. Instead, he traveled alone each time, scared of what he'd see at walk's end. The hall stretched on as he walked, and the clenching fear in his stomach grew. It was as though he were trudging through mud, while at the same time being dragged forward._

_He reached the double doors and pushed his small frame against them until they opened. Immediately his eyes were assaulted by blindingly bright lights and the glare of stainless steel. One wall was completely covered with what might have been mistaken at first glance for file cabinets, except for the fact that they were oversized and had heavy-duty latches and hinges. They sparkled with the cleanliness only seen in hospitals. The other wall held three tables that looked like altars, flat slabs on squared-off pedestals. They shone under the intensely bright lights suspended above them. One slab held what might have been a sacrifice, a body half covered in a sheet. He approached the stainless steel table and saw two hands folded peacefully above the sheet. They looked as though they'd been carved from finely veined marble by a master sculptor– they were a beautiful representation of life, but completely still and lifeless. His eye moved further up the arms and he saw the bandages that wrapped elbow to wrist. They'd tried to save her, he'd been told, but they'd been too late. The blood loss had been too great. She'd died peacefully, they'd said, in the warm comfort of a bath. His eyes filled with tears as he recognized his mother's face. _

_But it wasn't her, not really. She'd always been so lively– even through the pain and loneliness she'd suffered in recent years she had never stayed still. The statue laid before him in this frigid room was clearly not that woman. But she had his mother's nose, her lips, her finely sculpted cheekbones. Her eyebrows had the same perfect arch, and her hair was the same. He remembered the feel of that hair against his skin, how it would flow around him when she hugged him tightly. His mother hadn't been a vain woman, although she was quite beautiful, but she did take a certain pride in her satiny black hair. It fell in a liquid sheet to just below her shoulders, and the light reflected from it in silken bands. Now it lay fanned out, still beautiful, but unmoving. _

_She was dead. The body before him was nothing more than a crumbling cocoon, the tattered, broken remains of her existence. He was alone now, truly alone. He dropped to the cold tile floor and howled in sorrow and pain._

Kakashi woke with a start. The worst part of every hospital stay was that dream. It haunted him, often visiting when he fell asleep, either as patient or visitor. But only in the hospital. Since the building of the Konoha hospital, some fifty years ago, the ground floor of the structure had served as morgue. Kakashi had only visited it once, avoiding every occasion to do so since. His famed tardiness had served him well in this regard. There was always someone else who could be called on to identify a body– Kakashi would pay his respects in other ways. Somehow the memorial stone was a far more comforting place, despite its cold, hard appearance. For him it was a more abstract, impersonal reminder of the inevitability of death. The morgue, and even the hospital above it (or any hospital, it seemed), were too real, and soaked with the horror of death.

He rubbed his eyes, pushing up his hitae-ate as he did so, willing the last memories of his mother to leave his mind. It was funny that Sakura hadn't stumbled upon these images, as often as they visited him. There were millions and millions of cells in his brain, each storing information, but she'd happened upon the most important memories as she'd walked through his mind. Just not that particular one.

Kakashi stretched, and looked over at the sleeping kunoichi beside him. Her arm was still extended, her hand curled as though she'd been holding his hand until quite recently. The monitors beeped comfortingly behind her. She seemed to be doing well. Perhaps she was aware of his eyes upon her, because she began to stir.

"Kakashi?" Sakura's voice cracked a bit after hours of disuse. She turned to her side and looked up at him. "That's you, isn't it?"

"Konbanwa, Sakura-chan. How are you feeling?"

"Something's different." She thought for a moment, then smiled in relief. "My headache's gone. I'm still having vision problems, though. Everything is blurry and a bit dim."

"Close your eyes, then. Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Have you been sleeping in that chair this whole time?"

"I've slept in worse places. So have you."

"What time is it?"

"About eight, I'd say. Of course, my sense of time isn't that good."

"Really? I'd never noticed." Sarcasm dripped from her voice. "You're exhausted, aren't you?"

"I'm pretty sure I'm doing better than you." His voice was dry.

"You saved my life."

"Hmm."

"I guess it's not the first time."

"I'm not keeping score."

"No? I'm a burden to you, Kakashi. I always have been."

"No, Sakura. No. You've never been a burden. You're precious to me. Do you really think I could stand by and let you get hurt?"

"You're precious to me, too, Kakashi-kun."She turned her head away, but not before Kakashi saw the expression on her face. Of realization, perhaps, or of an inkling of understanding.

"Have you found some place to stay?"

"I'm not planning on leaving here until you do, Sakura."

"I'm fine now, Kakashi-kun. You don't need to be here 24-7." He had to admit he liked it when she called him that. "At the very least, you should get some air. Please?"

"Okay. I'll be back in a few. Don't go anywhere." He took her hand and guided it to the rails of the bed. "These are different than in Konoha. There's a remote here, and a call button here. I'm sure there's something on TV. I might actually want to stay in our hospital if they had TV, you know."

"It will be the first thing I discuss with Tsunade when we return– in-room entertainment. But first the village will need to start broadcasting, don't you think?" Sakura laughed in amusement as her hand played over the button.

Kakashi returned in less than ten minutes, bag in hand. He was surprised to see that the TV was off. It was clear Sakura was awake, although her eyes were closed. She was kicking her foot in boredom.

"Kakashi?" She'd recognized his chakra signature. "You were supposed to take a walk."

"Who says I didn't?"

"Me. You don't smell like you've been outside."

"I didn't know you were part dog."

"You know what I mean. When someone's been outside, they carry the cold in with them. You don't smell like winter. It is still winter here, isn't it?"

"Nothing on TV?"

"There's plenty on. Just nothing I want to listen to. Soap operas and game shows."

"Ah." He opened the bag and pulled out a hairbrush. "I bought you some toiletries. I didn't think to pack them before we left. Would you like me to brush your hair?"

"I can do that myself, Kakashi."

"I know. That's not why I asked. I'm trying to make myself useful."

"OK, then." She frowned, but sat up in the bed to allow Kakashi access. She had to admit that it felt nice to have her hair brushed. The last time someone had done this for her had been years ago. Until she'd turned nine, her bedtime ritual had included her mom brushing her hair and reading to her, then talking with her about the day's events.

"You have quite a few tangles. Sorry about that." The brush pulled slightly on her scalp, and Sakura grimaced.

"It does that. My mom always used to threaten to take a scissors to it. It was a fairly effective threat, I remember."

"Open your mouth." She heard the rustle of a wrapper and then her mouth was flooded with the satiny smooth sensation of melting chocolate. Sakura smiled and sighed.

"I should do this more often."

"Do what?"

Sakura giggled. "Get sick. It's nice to be pampered."

They were interrupted by Junko, who entered frowning. "How are you feeling, Sakura?"

"Pretty good. My headache's gone. My head feels great, but my vision isn't too good."

"It sounds like the steroids are working. I expect your vision to be back to normal soon. If not, I can repair it, assuming it's the optic nerve." She glanced at the monitor. "Your fever's down a bit, too. I don't want to remove the cooling pad just yet, though. The preliminary results from the lumbar puncture are back. It is bacterial meningitis, but it's not the strain we expected. Unfortunately, the mixture of antibiotics you've been taking isn't effective against this strain. The good news is that we do know which one to give you now, and we'll start you on it immediately. Hatake-san, you'll need to switch over, as well. A nurse will be by in a few minutes with the meds." Junko wrote some notes on Sakura's chart, then listened to Sakura's heart and breathing. "You seem to be doing well. I'm on call tonight, so if you need anything, just let the nurse know. Good night, then." She quietly left the room.

"I'm bored, Kakashi, and I bet you are, too."

Actually, he wasn't. It was delightful to sit there with Sakura, even if they weren't doing anything in particular. She was clearly feeling much better, almost back to her usual self. "What would you like to do, Sakura-chan?"

"Would you read to me?"

"There are some novels in the gift shop. Any preferences?"

"No. If their gift shop is anything like the one in our hospital, the selection will be limited to thick books about dynasties of insanely rich families and the women behind the scenes. And their cat fights."

"Oh?" He was suddenly interested.

"Their clothes stay on, Kakashi. It's not mud wrestling– just bitchiness and hairpulling. And long, fake nails and big hair. Basically a soap opera– like on the radio– but in book form. They tend to melt the brain, you know?"

Kakashi had never listened to a soap opera, but it did sound boring. "Well, what do you suggest then?" He smiled wickedly, although Sakura couldn't appreciate this with her eyes closed. He knew where this conversation was headed.

"Could you read me _Icha, Icha Takutikusu_?"

He laughed aloud. "I hadn't realized you're a fan, Sakura-chan."

"Well, I'm wondering what happens next. It had just gotten interesting when you woke up." Her cheeks bloomed scarlet.

"You know, all you had to do was ask. I'd gladly have loaned it to you."

"Just read, Kakashi." She'd turned redder still.

He got up and shut the door to the room. Sakura turned at the sound of the door closing. "Wouldn't want to sully your reputation," Kakashi said by way of explanation. He pulled the orange-clad book from his kunai pouch. "Do you remember where you left off?"

"Let's see. Jinrai had just finished a threesome that would have been a foursome if he hadn't killed one of the sisters."

"Right. Lucky guy." Kakashi paged to the appropriate place.

"Have you ever done that?"

"Done what?"

"Had a foursome? Or threesome?"

"What kind of question is that?" He was glad her eyes were closed, as a blush had crept into his face and was surely visible on the small amount of skin his face showed. She'd surprised him with her question, though he had no compunctions about answering. It was just fun to tease her.

"You're the one who said, 'Lucky guy.' You pretty much opened yourself up for it."

"No, Sakura."

"No, what?"

"I've never had a threesome. Or foursome. Or participated in an orgy. I'm more of a one woman man."

"Oh." She smiled. "Read."

"Imperious, aren't we?" Nonetheless, he began reading.

_Jinrai didn't feel as tired as he had expected. He was getting older, and strenuous activity was a bit more difficult than it had been only two or three years ago. Of course, it wasn't every day that he romped in the hay with two stunningly beautiful women, who happened to be kunoichi. He hadn't felt this satisfied in quite some time. He'd been their plaything for hours on end, until they left, just before sunrise. He had been their R and R, apparently, a brief vacation from the tedium of their everyday lives. He quickly removed the ropes that still bound him to the bed and rubbed the places where they had cut into his flesh. He found his clothes in several corners of the room and quickly dressed and headed out into the morning light. He'd promised Nakawa Koji, a friend he'd encountered weeks ago while on the road, that he'd look him up when he passed through his town. Jinrai was within only a few kilometers of the town in question. Today seemed as good a day as any to seek him out._

_Kanto was a small town, strongly fortified with a wall several meters thick and posted at intervals with heavily armed guards. The guards were a new addition: Jinrai didn't remember seeing them during his previous visit, years ago. Something critical must have happened, or must be about to happen for the town to dedicate its resources in such a manner. Jinrai passed through the gates with no problem, as he had a letter of introduction from his friend, Koji. The guard pointed the way to his residence, which Jinrai saw was quite large, and somewhat ostentatious._

_Jinrai quickly made his way to the house and was escorted inside by one comfortable, served tea by another, and then left to himself while the master of the house was called. _

_He looked up to see his friend, a large homely man dressed to the nines in robes of satin silk._

"_O jama shimasu."_

'_Jinrai! You finally made it!' Koji greeted Jinrai with a bone-crushing bear hug. The man was nothing if not ebullient. He seemed to greet every day as the universe's best creation yet, and every person as the primary reason for his happiness. This probably explained his huge financial success as a merchant. Buying and selling were much, much easier when the person you were dealing with felt as though they were special. The wealthy man's tone changed, however, with his next words._

'_I am glad you have come. Something terrible has happened. My niece, Midori– I believe I have spoken of her– she's a beautiful, innocent girl of only sixteen. She's been kidnapped. We haven't heard from her captors yet, but I assume she's being held for ransom. I have no enemies to speak of, but wealth does funny things. It turns the heads of one's friends and acquaintances. It makes people desperate.'_

'_You suspect someone you know fairly well, then?'_

'_Midori leads a sheltered life within the walls of this compound. She doesn't spend much time in the company of outsiders. Only someone with some knowledge of our family would know her movements.'_

'_I see. And you want me to find her?'_

'_If anyone can do it, you can.'_

'_When was she kidnapped?'_

'_A week ago yesterday.'_

'_Were there any witnesses?'_

'_No. When her servant came to wake her, Midori was missing. It must have occurred in the night.'_

"_And you haven't heard from the kidnappers?' Jinrai's did his best to hide his concern, and made his tone as casual as possible. Eight days was a long time to wait for a ransom note. Kidnappers usually moved quickly– the less time spent holding a captive, the better their chances of success. It therefore seemed unlikely to him that the girl was being held for ransom. It seemed more likely that she was either dead, or that she'd faked the kidnapping--_

"Kakashi?"

"Hmm?" He looked up from the text.

"This is surprising. There's actually a plot."

"Sorry to disappoint you. I know you're just interested in the sex scenes."

"You have to admit the first few chapters were pretty light weight, plot-wise."

"Jiraiya always starts his books that way, to hook the reader. And if you're honest, you'll admit that it's a pretty effective strategy."

"You don't have to rub it in, you know."

"Oh, I think I do. How many hundreds of times have you harassed me about reading these books?"

"It's probably in the thousands, actually."

"Who would have thought that Haruno Sakura had a penchant for adult literature?"

"Stop it, Kakashi."

"We're more alike than I realized, Sakura-chan."

"If we're alike, it's because you've perverted me. Hentai."

"I'm pretty sure you picked up the book of your own free will."

"Yes, but years of seeing you reading them probably twisted my subconscious."

"Whatever you need to tell yourself is fine. But it probably would be more healthy just to admit to yourself that the Icha, Icha series is quite good reading and your old sensei was right this whole time."

She looked so cute when she was mad. "Of course _you'd_ say that, Kakashi."

"Shall I continue?"

"Whatever." If her eyes had been open she would have rolled them.

Kakashi sat quietly for a while, staring at Sakura as he noisily turned a page every few minutes.

"Are you reading that to yourself?"

"Well, you didn't sound interested, Sakura-chan. I really don't want to bore you, or pervert you further."

"Just read the damn book, Kakashi."

The copy ninja smiled victoriously, and began to read, but was interrupted by the entrance of a nurse– a different one than earlier in the day.

"It looks like you're doing a lot better than when you came in," she said to Sakura. "I'm just going to change your IV bag and add your new antibiotics. She handed a paper cup to Kakashi. "And before I forget, here are yours." She was brisk and efficient, and smiled when she noticed the book in Kakashi's hands. "It looks like I interrupted you two. Don't let me stop your reading."

"What is the medication you're giving me?"

"Oh, it's a new antibiotic we've developed."

"What are antibiotics? We don't have them in Fire Country."

"They are chemicals that kill bacteria. They're amazing. I can't tell you how many lives have been saved since we've started using them."

"How long do they take to work?"

"They'll start working immediately. You've already been taking a different one, but it doesn't work against the type of bacteria that are infecting you."

Sakura looked very interested. It was clear that this type of medicine would work wonders at home.

"Call me if you need anything. Shall I leave the door open or shut?"

"Shut please," Kakashi and Sakura said at the same time. The nurse gently closed the door and they were alone again.

"You didn't want to read in front of her. Why not?"

"Snow's censorship laws are even stronger than ours. They don't sell this type of book here."

Sakura laughed. "What do you think she would have done if you'd started reading?"

"I don't know. Thrown us onto the street?"

"So you're admitting it's smutty."

"Sure it's smutty. But that doesn't change the fact that you're enjoying it, Sakura-chan."

"Are you finished?"

"Yes. I think so. So long as we've established the facts." Sakura swung her arm blindly and landed a rather satisfying punch. Kakashi groaned theatrically, but began to read again.

_It seemed more likely that she was either dead, or that she'd faked the kidnapping. _

'_What else can you tell me about your niece, other than she's young, beautiful and innocent?'_

'_She's betrothed, and has been since birth, to an older man in the next village. He visits once a month, always chaperoned, of course.'_

'_How does she feel about marrying this man?'_

'_Midori is a girl who understands the role of family alliances. She has never protested, or said an unkind word.'_

'_Does she have any male friends?'_

'_Jinrai, friend, I know that you have to ask these questions, but I am finding them offensive. Midori knows only the people in this compound– her family, our servants, and the small circle of friends who visit our home.'_

'_And no one else enters your home?' Jinrai thought this unusual. Most compounds of this size would take delivery of meats, vegetables and dry goods. Midori would therefore be exposed to quite a few people besides the ones Koji had named._

_Koji stood. It was clear he was finished with this conversation. 'Find her kidnapper, Jinrai. I will pay you handsomely. Twice your normal purse. But first dine with me, and allow me to accommodate you for the evening. You can start at first light.'_

_Jinrai left Koji's residence as the sun dawned, eager to begin his mission. He'd spend the morning in town. The early morning markets were full of gossiping women who might be able to fill in the details about Midori. A map of the area would be useful, too. He'd need to seek out a newsstand or bookstore. And a trip to the neighborhood bars was essential– surely some of the townsfolk had noticed any unusual comings and goings near the Nakawa compound. He'd talk to the guards posted at the gate, as well– it was likely they would have seen something. _

_His efforts quickly paid off. The town was abuzz with talk of the Nakawa girl's disappearance and almost every villager he approached had something to say about it. He quickly found out that the girl was not at all as Koji had described. Apparently she was seen in town quite often, and had frequented several of the bars Jinrai had visited. She was in love, he learned, with the butcher's apprentice. They must have met during a delivery. Jinrai visited the butcher shop and learned that indeed the apprentice was missing. However, he had not disappeared the day that Midori did. He'd only gone missing 4 days ago._

_She'd been leading a double-life, that was certain. But this piece of the puzzle did not fit. If she were leaving to elope, she would have left with the apprentice. Perhaps she _had_ been kidnapped. Jinrai hurried to talk with the guards that manned the gate._

_One had seen something strange that night. Only visitors entering the town were queried, so he hadn't learned their names, but a group of six people had left the town at three a.m. on the night Midori had disappeared. They'd been dressed in dark colors, and had worn hooded jackets, so the guard hadn't gotten a good look at them._

'_Do you remember which way they headed?'_

_The guard pointed south. 'They took the road heading into the mountains.'_

_Jinrai thanked the guard profusely, and headed in the direction he had pointed._

_It was easy to track them, as they were clearly amateurs. Jinrai was amused at the thought that five of them had been needed to take the girl, and that they'd actually walked through the town's main gate. It was almost as though they had wanted to be seen. That, or they were extremely stupid. Jinrai quickly found the place where they'd left the road. The ferns were trampled into a path that was quite easy to discern._

_By nightfall he had found them. They had been brazen enough to light a fire, but did_ _not appear to have mounted a watch. All sat facing the fire. All except Midori, that is. She was tied to a tree, her eyes wild looking, her silk kimono torn--_

"Strategically, I'm sure. Is there an illustration?"

"Of course, Sakura. Shall I describe it for you?"

"Let me guess– then you can tell me if I'm correct. She looks like Tsunade, of course, but with brown hair and green eyes, and the kimono is torn at the shoulder, exposing one breast."

"So close! Both breasts are showing. And they're Tsunade-size, of course. But the kimono is ripped on one side all the way to the hips."

"Figures."

_Jinrai caught Midori's eye, and held a finger to his mouth to indicate that she should remain silent. She nodded almost imperceptibly, then looked away. Jinrai sized up the situation, then attacked._

_They were amateurs. Thugs, perhaps, but definitely not ninja. Not even former army. Jinrai's kunai flew with precision, pinning two to nearby trees and hitting another in the jugular. He lodged a shuriken in the windpipe of the fourth and in the femoral artery of the last. Jinrai drew his katana to strike a death blow to the two pinned to the trees, then turned to Midori. Her eyes were wide with fear, and it was directed at him._

'_W-w-who are you?' She stammered._

'_Does it matter?' was his terse reply._

_With a single flick of his kunai he sliced her ropes cleanly through. She fell into his arms. She was more beautiful than he'd expected. She didn't resemble Koji at all. Her hair was the color of autumn chestnuts, her eyes a golden green, and catlike. She pressed against him, shuddering. Soon his shirt was wet with her tears._

"_Did they hurt you?" he asked._

"_They were about to. My– my– boyfriend came upon them this morning and they– they--" Her eyes filled with tears._

"_Where is he?"_

_She pointed. "Over there. It was... horrible." She held him more tightly. "I feel like I've died, too. Please. Please show me I'm still alive." His lips met hers and found them willing and eager. She flicked her tongue against his, seeking entry--_

"He's really going to do his friend's niece?"

"Looks that way." Kakashi smiled at Sakura's choice of words.

"That's just not right!"

"What do you mean?" His voice was guarded. Kakashi was sure she was about to bring up the fact that Midori was a girl of sixteen, while Jinrai was quite a bit older.

"She's his friend's niece. She's engaged, Kakashi, and she has a lover. Had a lover."

"So what difference does a third make? It's a work of fiction, Sakura, not real life." She hadn't mentioned the age difference. Could it really not matter to her?

"Hmm. I guess you have a point. I'll suspend my disbelief."

_Jinrai lowered her to the ground, tearing off her ruined garment as he did so. He caressed her bruised flesh gently, and honored her with passionate kisses. He'd make her forget her pain, for a while, at least. She deserved nothing less. He rained kisses as gentle as hummingbird wings along her jawline, then moved lower to caress her exquisite collarbones--_

"Are you sure you want me to keep reading this? The next part is really dirty."

"You know, I didn't torture _you _when you were sick in bed."

_Yes, you did. You have no idea, Sakura._

"Reading a perverted old man his favorite book is a lot different than tarnishing the virtue of an innocent young woman."

"You're not old, Kakashi, and whoever said I was innocent?"

"We'll finish tomorrow. It's getting late."

"Okay." She seemed disappointed but tried to cover it by changing the subject to focus on him. "You must be starved. Please go get something to eat."

She looked beautiful lying there with her eyes closed. He'd never noticed how impossibly long her eyelashes were. Kakashi leaned in to kiss Sakura on the cheek. She turned her head away as he did so, not aware of his intention. His kiss landed squarely on her lips, surprising them both. He pulled back quickly, and noticed the blush in her cheeks.

"I'm sorry, Sakura."

"Don't be." She touched her finger to her lips and rubbed them lightly. "It felt nice."

_**Glossary**_

Konbanwa_- good evening_

O jama shimasu_– said when entering someone's house. Translates to "sorry to bother you"_


	27. Dreams and Icha, Icha, Part 2

_Disclaimer: Naruto and associated characters are property of Masashi Kishimoto. They are not my property!_

**Fourteen Dates **

_Author's note: I really, really appreciate the reviews! They mean so much to me. As I mentioned a while back, I have been recovering from a severely broken leg and dislocated shoulder. It has taken four months for my life to return to some semblance of normalcy and I can honestly say that these have been the very worst four months of my life. And that's saying something– I've survived a lot of crap in my life. So, reading such positive things about my writing has meant more to me than you might expect. I never wrote anything (except lame essays and papers while in high school/college and a very dry dissertation, which doesn't count) until a couple of weeks before my accident, but now I am finding that I am somewhat addicted. Maybe someday (after a lot more practice) I may even try to write something original, like a novel. I finally went back to work last week (I quit my job a month before I got hurt, and being hurt made it very, very difficult to get a new job– o figure!), so I am more busy now, but I will still find a way to write and update frequently._

_Some random facts about me: I am not a medical professional, so please forgive any major mistakes in this story. I did spend a lot of time researching it, so I am hoping it is accurate, but I won't make any promises. I am studying (well, that's probably too strong a word) Soto Zen Buddhism. It's part of my fascination with all things Japanese. I am female (which you might infer from my pen name, which I took up before I began reading Naruto– I just like Sakura blossoms). I am much, much older than most fan fiction folk. I have one child, a wonderful seven-year-old. I also have a wonderful husband. _

_If you are under age 18, you should not be reading this. At least not the "mature" parts._

**Chapter 27– Dreams and Icha, Icha, Part 2**

What a day it had been. Kakashi shifted in the uncomfortable, vinyl-clad armchair next to Sakura's bed to gaze at her. His face softened as he noticed how peacefully she was sleeping. He'd never guessed when they'd entered the hospital early that morning that the worst day of his life would end up as the best. He'd been beside himself with anxiety and self-loathing when he'd finally entered the building, thinking of ways he might exit, too, should Sakura take leave of her body. He'd known he wouldn't return to Konoha without her, that there would be no point continuing the shadow of existence she'd so brilliantly set into contrast in recent weeks. Kakashi had realized without a doubt how incomplete he would be without her.

And then, miraculously, she had come around. Her fever had gone down, her headache had disappeared, and her clever, insightful mind seemed undamaged-– the worst was over. Yes, her eyesight was not back to normal, but that was nothing, comparatively speaking. Even if Junko was unable to restore it (and from her talk, this seemed unlikely, as she hadn't been too concerned over it), Kakashi had realized that a sightless Sakura wouldn't be any less loved by him. Of course, Sakura would struggle with it, but if worse came to worst, he'd be by her side to help in any way he could. He'd stay with her no matter what.

For the first time, Kakashi realized, someone he loved had survived the curse that seemed to dog him since his childhood. Until this day, everyone he'd ever gotten close to had died a horrible, violent death. As a shinobi, to be witness to such deaths was common, but every shinobi lost at least a few loved ones to natural causes, and to peaceful, gentle deaths. And every almost every shinobi he knew had a circle of living friends or relatives who could be counted on to persist in living and dying in the normal fashion, whether their lives ended up being short or long. Every shinobi except Kakashi, that is. But now the curse that had crippled Kakashi was broken. He'd been able to save his loved one, the person most precious to him. He could love, and not be punished for doing so. Kakashi allowed himself to revel in the intense feeling of joy this realization produced in him. Tomorrow he would tell Sakura how he felt. If the look she had given him earlier in the day meant anything, it seemed possible she felt the same way.

And then there was the kiss. It had been unintentional on his part, but he was glad his lips had brushed against hers, however briefly. His only regret was that he had been wearing the mask. He longed to feel her lips against his, flesh on flesh, with no self-imposed barrier to intimacy. Even through the thin, silk knit of the mask he had felt their softness, their warmth, their promise of sensual bliss. He had no doubt that kissing Sakura would be a heavenly experience.

For Kakashi, like most men, sex was easy to separate from intimacy. He'd had many satisfying sexual experiences (for both him and each partner), but he'd never allowed any relationship (if these time-limited experiences could even be called that) to progress beyond a one-night stand. Despite this, the sex had been mind-blowing at times. Even so, a part of him had always held back during these occasions, unwilling to completely lose control the way one can with a true lover. With Sakura, Kakashi knew it would be different. He was looking forward to finally losing control, to opening up to her, to being trusting and vulnerable with her. She was so passionate in everything she did– he had no doubt she would bring that to their love-making. He couldn't wait to please her, to be truly one with her in both body and spirit.

A shinobi wasn't vulnerable, of course, not as a rule, anyway. One took every step to keep the thick, steel plates of isolation up and intact, because any chink in one's armor could and would be exploited. But even the rules that guided shinobi were made to be broken, depending on the situation. That had been a hard lesson to learn, but Kakashi finally had taken it to heart, and had lived his life by it, since Obito's death. On team seven's very first "real" mission (to use Naruto's term), Kakashi had demonstrated his willingness to be vulnerable for the sake of his team. Not emotionally vulnerable, of course (he'd deemed that much too dangerous), but physically. He'd promised his apprentices that he'd protect them with his own life. He'd promised to do the thing that had made him despise his father for so many years– to interpret the rules situationally, to use judgement to determine the best course of action. To put the team before the mission, if necessary. And of course, he'd delivered on this promise, over and over.

Being vulnerable with Sakura therefore wasn't a problem, although it was definitely a new type of vulnerability for Kakashi. He would just be taking it to the next level, he told himself. It would probably make him a better ninja, in fact, for it would truly remind him of the reason for his life's work. Protecting the village was an abstract concept when one had no ties to it. As a result, it could be difficult to embrace this concept, and it was all too easy to become burnt out. Kakashi had teetered on the brink of burn-out many times, relying on his innate tenacity to push on despite the increasingly hollow feeling that threatened to encompass him at those times. But with Sakura by his side, the reason he'd agreed to use his body and mind as a tool for the greater good would be concrete, real, palpable.

Kakashi tilted his head back slightly against the wall behind him, and did his best to get comfortable, letting his mind to conjure up erotic (and _Icha, Icha_-influenced) fantasies starring himself and one Haruno Sakura. A small smile played across his lips as his encyclopedic (and eidetically graphic) memory supplied venues and props, as well as breathtakingly accurate portrayals of the woman he loved.

He was jarred awake by a buzzing noise, an urgent sound in sync with the ominously flashing light on the panel to Sakura's right side. An older nurse rushed in, and quickly flipped the lights on, surveying the scene in front of her with expert eyes. Kakashi blinked, his uncovered eye temporarily squinting under the bright illumination. For a moment he felt an adrenaline-fueled rush of terror accompanied by a wave of nausea, as the blood was rapidly pushed out of his torso in a fight-or-flight response. Then he felt, rather than saw the nurse suddenly relax.

"It's only her oxygen monitor. The clip slipped off her finger." The nurse reset the panel and securely reattached the small, grey clip to Sakura's index finger, continuing to talk to Kakashi as she did so. "I assume you didn't do this. She must have shifted while she was sleeping."

Yes, that must have been what happened. Sakura was now on her side— she'd been lying supine when he'd taken the chair not that long ago. "How did you get here so fast? Could you hear the buzzer all the way at the nurse's station?"

"This is a telemetry unit. The computers at the nurse's station log all of the data produced by these machines and alert us if anything is amiss."

Kakashi felt relief wash over him. It was clear Sakura was in good hands, false alarm or no. He looked at Sakura, still sleeping peacefully, and noticed that her hospital gown gapped open at the back. Kakashi felt absolutely no embarrassment at taking a quick peek at Sakura's derriere. Absolutely beautiful, he thought, just like the rest of her. He hadn't allowed himself the pleasure of gazing at her naked body, despite his close proximity during the several baths she'd been given recently, and he felt calmed by the normalcy of doing so now. Sakura would probably call it perverted, he knew, but he really didn't care. She seemed to have a bit of a perverted streak herself– one definitely worth exploring further. As his eye scanned up her back, Kakashi noticed the skin on either side of her spine was slightly red, although it did not appear warm to his touch.

"Is this anything to be concerned about?" he asked the nurse, running his finger along Sakura's spine.

The nurse covered Sakura up with the bed's thin, thermal blanket, nearly slapping Kakashi's hand out of the way as she did so. She then gave Kakashi a long, withering glare, the type of look typically reserved for older men in the presence of young beauties. "She's been lying on her back, which causes a bit of pressure," she said finally, apparently deciding that Kakashi's question did merit a response. "It's normal for the skin to redden a bit." She left abruptly, flipping off the light switch as she did so, and Kakashi tried his best to relax again, although he realized he wouldn't be sleeping very deeply tonight. His senses were now on high alert. Sleep did finally take him, though, the type of sleep that is not restorative, in which one floats just under the surface, almost lucid.

_He was in a coniferous forest, three kunai tucked between his gloved fingers, ready to strike at the smallest sound or movement. He'd pulled Sakura out of the path of immediate danger, and he knew that in only moments their last enemy would be no more. Kakashi used his free hand to push up his hitae-ate, readying himself for a final fight with his unnamed foe. His sharingan pointed out the genjutsu user easily, though Kakashi made no sign of this. The man had camouflaged himself against a tree. To any other eyes, he was part of the tree. The man didn't react when Kakashi raised his hitae-ate– it seemed possible that he was unaware of the sharingan's powers. All the better. Kakashi looked away from his target, and threw his first kunai far from the mark, intentionally, of course. The second, thrown while Kakashi's face was still turned away, caught the man in the chest, opening a fountain of bright red arterial blood that spurted out vigorously in time with his pulse. Kakashi turned from the gruesome sight and knelt by Sakura, and did his best to remedy her wounds. _

_She was in horrible shape. Her face was covered in the blood produced by a gash in her forehead, and her shirt was soaked through, as well. Kakashi gingerly pulled back the thin, cotton fabric and gasped at what he saw. He was sure he would never get her back to Konoha in time, but he had no choice but to try. He could not heal her himself. Though his chakra control was exceptional, he was not a medic. He knew that chakra applied indiscriminately did more harm than good, even in life or death cases. Kakashi removed his own shirt, pressed it tightly around the wound and bound it to Sakura tightly with rope. He then picked her up and ran for her life._

_It seemed like he was running forever, through forests familiar and strange, until finally he stopped, hearing Sakura moaning against him. He couldn't make out her words– it was more of a plaintive wail. He set her down for a moment, to examine her and noticed that his impromptu bandage was soaked through. She must have lost several pints of blood by now. Her face was pale, her breathing labored, her keening continuous._

_Suddenly, he was there, in Konoha hospital, but Sakura was gone, though the keening sound persisted. The hallway was familiar to him, though his perspective had changed with age. He now could see through the small windows in each door, though again he had no need to do so. He knew exactly where he was going, and he had no desire to go there. He pushed against the invisible force that pulled him forward, wishing the hall would stretch on forever, as it always had in previous dreams, wishing his feet still felt like they were stuck in viscous mud. He arrived at the double doors in almost no time, and he refused to press against them. They opened anyway, and he was once more in the stainless steel-bedecked laboratory. It was dark, though, except for the single pendant lamp that hung over one steel pedestal table. Again, Kakashi did his best to hold back. Again, something pulled him forward unwillingly. He fought it. He didn't want to see the blood offering laid out on that cold, forbidding altar. _

_Her wrists were bandaged as they'd been before, and rested peacefully on the sheet which covered her. He reached out to touch her and was surprised to find that her hands were still warm. He picked up her hand, but dropped it immediately, on seeing that she was still oozing blood._

"_Okaa-san?" His voice was shaky. Was she still alive?_

_His eyes scanned up her body. Her face was as beautiful as ever, her hair as black and soft as ravens' wings. She looked peaceful. Then he heard someone speak. His mother's eyes didn't open and her body didn't move. _

"_Kakashi. Why did you leave me?" It wasn't her voice. Even overlaid with the keening noise that still filled the room with its monotonous shrieking, Kakashi was sure the voice he'd heard was not his mother's. Kakashi looked away, his face filled with confusion as he realized the source of those words._

"_Sakura?"_

_He looked back. It was his love who lay there now, her beautiful hair matted and caked with thick, dark blood, the sheet covering her crimson-stained. She was gone._

He woke up with a start, sweat-drenched, and struggled to banish the dream. The horrible sound that had filled his dream continued unabated. The monitor that had sounded earlier had gone haywire, itseemed. Kakashi flipped on the nearest light, and stood to examine Sakura. The oxygen sensor was still securely clipped to her finger. Where the hell was the nurse? She'd arrived immediately the last time the alarm had gone off. Kakashi reached for the call button, and pushed it several times.

A tired voice answered him. "The sensor is unclipped again, isn't it?"

"No. Something is wrong." Kakashi looked at Sakura. Her breathing seemed labored, as it had in his dream.

The nurse rushed in, accompanied by Junko. The medic took one look at the distressed kunoichi and began barking orders and asking questions.

"Hatake-san, did you notice anything out of the ordinary about Sakura tonight? Any changes that didn't seem part of her improvement?"

"Her back looked slightly red, but I was told it was nothing to worry about." The nurse standing next to Junko fidgeted at his words.

Junko gently moved Sakura onto her side, and peeled back the hospital gown. Sakura's back was covered in tiny purple dots, which grew in number where her arms met her torso. "Was this what you saw?"

"No. It was only red."

"Good. That gives us time."

"Time for what?! What is going on?!"

"I'll tell you once we move her. Have you set up the plasmapheresis unit? Inoue, make sure it's ready to go. Where's the oxygen tank I asked for?" Junko hurriedly affixed a mask to Sakura's face and regulated the flow of oxygen. Then she and several orderlies moved Sakura to a gurney, placing several small monitors beside her on the narrow mattress. They rolled her quickly down the hall to the ICU.

Kakashi followed, heart in his mouth. This couldn't be happening again.

"I thought she was better. She's in ICU. Is she dying?" He was clearly shell shocked.

Junko had just finished intubating Sakura, and was now inserting lines into the large veins found at each inside elbow. These were to be hooked up to a large, complicated machine that dominated the room. Junko replied as soon as she finished with these tasks, turning the machine on as she spoke. "The antibiotic has started to work, and its working really well. Unfortunately, it appears that not only her brain and spinal cord were infected– her bloodstream has been under attack, as well. Before you brought her in, did you notice if her hands were cold?"

"Yes. She was burning up everywhere else, but her hands felt like blocks of ice."

She nodded. "That fits. It's really unusual for this to happen. The bacteria that cause meningitis can attack two ways. They can attack the brain, which definitely happened to Sakura, and this is what we were treating her for. But the bacteria can also attack the rest of the body and cause something called septicemia– an infection of the blood. Usually people with one form don't get the other. But it does sometimes happen, and when it does, it can be hard to pick up on. The symptoms overlap quite a bit. And Sakura's brain symptoms were so severe we didn't notice the others."

"So what's happening?"

"The antibiotics are doing a great job killing the bacteria in her blood stream. But when the bacteria die, they release a powerful toxin. Because we didn't make the right guess at the antibiotic when she was admitted, the bacteria had a lot of time to grow and reproduce. It only takes 20 minutes for bacteria to double in number, so Sakura has much, much more bacteria in her system now then when she was admitted, and they are releasing lots of toxin as they die. The toxin is making her capillaries porous, its and blood is leaking out. That's the cause of the rash you saw. The toxin is also attacking her vital organs. That's why she's having trouble breathing. We're lucky we caught it early. The toxin also wreaks havoc on the body's clotting mechanism. That can cause massive clots in the outer arms and legs."

"So what can you do?" Kakashi's tone was emotionless, resigned.

"The machine I just hooked up will remove her plasma, which contains the toxin. We'll replace it with clean plasma from donors. We also need to repair the damage the endotoxin has already done. I've called in four other medics to help me. Together we should be able to target every major organ, as well as her blood vessels. It will take hours, though."

Kakashi said nothing, just collapsed in the chair by Sakura's side.

"Hatake-san. All is not lost."

He looked up, the light that usually danced across his eye dulled, his expressionunreadable.

"I can tell you are in love with her. I won't let her be taken from you without a fight."

The apheresis machine whirred smoothly as it spun and separated Sakura's blood, removing the contaminated plasma while returning her own blood cells and fresh, clean plasma to her body. The process would take about three hours, Junko had said, and it was possibleSakura would need additional treatments in the next few days. With five medics surrounding Sakura for hours at a time, there wasn't room for Kakashi in the cramped, glass-walled ICU room. He had nowhere to go, however, and even if there was some form of diversion nearby, he wouldn't have left. It was hard enough to be only meters apart from Sakura. Kakashi paced the halls nervously, staying close enough to the room to hear the comforting noise of the machine purifying Sakura's blood. He fervently wished there was something, anything he could do to help.

If he'd believed in the many kami and household gods of Konoha he would have prayed. But Kakashi was not a religious man, nor could he even be accused of being spiritual. If someone had forced him to nail down his beliefs (which would be unlikely, given Kakashi's skills at evasion), he might have claimed to be Zen Buddhist, if only because he saw no point in asking unknown entities for help. He'd prayed many times when he was younger– after his father's and mother's suicides, and after Obito's horrible death. No kami had helped him, then. Even without formal Buddhist study, Kakashi knew that life was fleeting and full of change. This had been demonstrated to him over and over. He also knew, without tutelage, that life was full of suffering. His life was an object lesson in this. It defined suffering. It_ was_ suffering.

He'd been stupid to think it might change.

Maybe he was in hell. He'd never really believed such a place existed, but if it did, he was surely experiencing it. Perhaps he was already dead, and the past thirty eight years had been his punishment for crimes committed before that. His current hell provided him with enough successes to keep him from giving up completely, with enough intermittent pain to make his life a study in misery. The one thing he wanted, he couldn't have. To love and be loved– and to have it last just a little while. Enough to truly experience it. Enough to savor it and be able to remember it. Damn it. He hadn't even told her he loved her. He'd never even kissed her– not really. He hadn't shown her what she meant to him. And she was dying. Junko hadn't told him that she'd be okay. Her words had been measured. Heartfelt, to be sure, but measured nonetheless. She'd promised she'd fight, that she wouldn't give up. Kakashi appreciated her honesty, and her unwillingness to give false hope, but her words cut deeply. Today had been the worst day of his life, and for a few, fleeting hours, the very best day of his life. Now he no longer wanted to live.

After several hours, the comforting whirr of the apheresis machine stopped, and the bulky machine was removed from the cramped room. Sakura's blood was clean, now, at least. That was something, it had to be something. Kakashi slid down the wall he'd been leaning against, and propped his chin on his knees. The medics still surrounded Sakura, bent like widows at a traditional wake, fully obscuring his view of her. Each was intent on his or her work– no sounds emanated from the room apart from the soft rushing noise of the ventilator that assisted Sakura's breathing. Kakashi listened intently to the noise, and did his best to focus on it, to calm himself through meditation.

After a while, he noticed it was near sunrise. He and Sakura had been at the hospital a full twenty-four hours, and the medics had been at her side for at least eight of those hours. Kakashi looked up from his post directly across from Sakura's room, and noticed the medics in conversation. One stood, and the others followed. Kakashi rushed in immediately.

"Hatake-san, we've done our best. Our chakra is exhausted. These are all of my medics." Junko sighed. "We'll try again in twelve hours, once they've had time to rest. It's up to Sakura, until then." She looked at him critically. "Will you try to get some rest, as well?"

"Thank you for everything you've done." Kakashi's voice was hollow, his eyes unseeing. He collapsed into the chair.


	28. Realization

_Disclaimer: Naruto and associated characters are property of Masashi Kishimoto. They are not my property!_

**Fourteen Dates **

_Author's note. This is very fluffy. Blame it on Valentine's Day. Or just blame it on me. _

**Chapter 28– Realization**

_My throat hurts._

Sakura woke to a dimly lit room and the feel of something cool and soft on her forehead, and of foreign chakra infusing her. She slowly opened her eyes, registering that her vision was back to normal as she focused on the face of the medic perched on a stool by the side of her bed.

"Welcome back. You've been missed." Junko's voice was as soft as the hand that continued to pour chakra into Sakura's system.

"What..." Her thought remained unvoiced. It was difficult to speak.

"You're through the worst of it, now, Sakura. It was touch and go for a while, though."

Sakura blinked as she tried to piece together recent events. She remembered waking in a room with a window, Kakashi beside her, holding her hand as her spinal canal had been punctured, and the comforting sound of his voice as he'd read _Icha, Icha_ to her. But not much else. She gingerly turned her head in the bed, afraid of the possible return of headache that had plagued her. This room was different, she was certain of it, even though she had only a blurry recollection of the last one. There was no window here, and the other room had felt larger. Kakashi was here, though, head tipped back to touch the wall behind him, slouched in a recliner that was too small for his height, orange book nowhere in sight. He seemed to be out cold.

"We'll be sending you back to a regular room, soon. I thought you might need another round of plasmapheresis, but your blood tested clean. There's no need for you to stay in the ICU any more." Junko tipped her head toward Kakashi. "He hasn't willingly left your side. Not once. Even when we had to force him out of the room so that we could work on you, he stayed right outside your door. He's been sleeping for at least twelve hours straight."

"He does that." Sakura's voice croaked. She must have been intubated, she realized. What exactly had happened to her? She felt as though a small rodent had been trapped inside her throat, and had died trying to claw its way out. That would explain the terrible taste in her mouth, as well. "He has a tendency to push himself to exhaustion. I guess he thinks he's invincible."

"It's not that. You're very lucky, you know." Sakura did not see the wistful look in the older medic's eyes.

"Yes. I know. If we hadn't been near Snow Country, I would have died, wouldn't I? I guess that little girl did. Fire has no way to treat a disease like bacterial meningitis. You must think we're completely uncivilized."

Junko laughed. "Not at all. The time I spent training in Fire was some of the best years of my life. I learned from the best, including your mentor. And your people are a lot more open and friendly than mine." She paused, as though trying to make up her mind. "When you're feeling better, I'd like to show you around the lab. I don't think there's any law against me telling a patient how we cured her." Junko winked. "Our country is very secretive, but there are always loopholes."

"I'd really like that. There's obviously a lot I could learn, and it could save the lives of my countrymen. But you've already done so much for me."

"I have no doubt you or Tsunade would do the same for one of us."

Sakura smiled at the woman. She was so different from Tsunade. It was hard to imagine them as friends, though apparently they'd stayed in contact over the years.

"That's not what I was talking about, you know." There was a light in Junko's warm eyes.

"What?"

"I said you were lucky. But I didn't mean you were lucky to survive, although that's certainly true."

Sakura looked at Junko questioningly.

"I meant that you are lucky to have someone who cares so deeply about you."

"We've known each other for a long time. Kakashi was my first sensei once I graduated from the Academy."

Junko smiled. "Are you sure he's not more than that?"

Sakura flushed as she reflected on these words. "He's my closest friend, I guess, although I wouldn't have said that a month ago. Something kept us apart for quite a while."

"Sakura, you know as well as I do how the hospital rips away any privacy a patient has. We medics see things that are hidden in normal life. I've seen a lot of couples who claimed to be in love– who said it loudly and boldly. But real love is completely selfless, and dedicated to the other. It speaks through its actions– it doesn't need to proclaim itself to others. It's evident to anyone who looks for it. I'm sorry to say that I've seen that type of love demonstrated fewer times than I care to admit."

"So what do you see here?"

"I don't think I can answer that. But Tsunade has written over and over about what an intelligent, observant woman you are." She winked as she rose from Sakura's side. "Orderlies will be in fairly soon to move you."

"Can't I walk to the new room?"

Junko chuckled. "I said you were through the worst of it, not done with it."

Sakura frowned. "Not even a wheelchair?"

"Tomorrow. If it's warm out, I'll even let you go outside for a while. We have very nice grounds, and the crocuses are coming up." She turned off the monitors beside Sakura. "I'm happy to say we won't be needing these anymore."

"What about food? I'm starved."

"You don't get to be a patient very often, do you? When you get back to your room, a nurse will remove your IV line and catheter, you'll get a sponge bath, and someone will come by with a menu. Just don't expect the food to be too exciting, at first."

"Yippee. No more catheter." Being a patient really was humiliating. There was no denying it. "How long have I been here, anyway?"

"Only about a day and a half. Has it seemed like an eternity?" She chuckled as she moved toward the door. "I'll check in on you tomorrow morning."

Once the door was shut, Sakura waited for a few minutes, then gently removed the probes from her skin. Next she carefully pulled the IV line from her arm. She applied chakra as she did so to quell the small amount of bleeding which was sure to follow, and sighed in relief. Why wait for the nurses when she could do this herself, and thereby maintain some of her dignity? She was beginning to understand Kakashi better and better, she thought. With a careful pull, the catheter was gone, as well. She chuckled softly as she remembered Kakashi, bare-assed in his hospital gown, attempting to leave the Konoha hospital not so long ago.

Sakura rose carefully from the bed and over to the room's tiny sink. Bathrooms were not a standard part of an ICU room, which was a pity right now. The room's sink did not even have a mirror hanging over it– it was strictly a utilitarian fixture. Where was her toothbrush? She glanced over at the still-sleeping Kakashi and saw a brown paper bag at his feet. Success. She tiptoed over and retrieved the bag, finding two toothbrushes and some toothpaste within, as well as the hairbrush he'd used earlier on her. It had felt so nice when he'd untangled her hair, so gentle, so intimate. She scrubbed her teeth twice, not satisfied with her first effort, as she was sure the dead animal taste was lingering in her mouth, and thought about Kakashi as she did so. She felt so incredibly... comfortable around him. That was the word. They hadn't been in each other's company for years, but over the past month she had grown to feel as though they'd never been apart. Sakura lay down on her bed and turned so that she could look at Kakashi.

She had never seen him so exhausted, apart from the times when he'd been comatose due to overuse of the sharingan. He had always been the one who woke first on missions, typically before the first hint of dawn, even after taking one of the night watches, and he had always been the one to sleep most lightly, ready to react if there were any unusual sounds or signals. But right now he was out cold, lightly snoring, though his mask muffled the sound. Sakura remembered the missions they'd been on during the time of team seven, and later, team Kakashi. The man had demonstrated countless times that he could be completely exhausted, yet still be more alert than the rest of the team. What did it mean that he was so drained right now? Sakura lifted her hand close to his face, and snapped her fingers three times. No response. He was dead to the world.

What had he been through these last few days? She should have detained Junko for a bit longer and found out exactly what had happened to her. But she'd seemed busy, and as a medic herself, Sakura had a good idea of how full her schedule probably was.

"_Are you sure he's not more than that?_"

Junko's words rung in Sakura's ears as she continued to stare at the copy ninja. What _was_ she to Kakashi? She'd been hospitalized before, but no one had ever kept vigil by her bedside. Kakashi's behavior had been so different in the month or so they'd been interacting, very different from that the man she'd known eight years earlier. True, he was still aloof, he still read the completely inappropriate orange books he'd always read, and he was still the strongest jounin, by far, in Konoha– and quite possibly elsewhere, as well. But he was different. He'd opened himself up to her. Sakura had seen his face, something she knew few others had seen, but even more importantly, she'd seen parts of his inner self that she was sure no one else had seen. Kakashi hadn't been upset that she'd seen some of his most private memories. And the way he'd treated her since then had been completely foreign to her. He'd shown concern and self-restraint when her neighbor was revealed as a voyeur, and he'd given up his comfort and privacy in allowing her to stay with him. Then he'd gone one step further– a giant step further– in planning a vacation for her. He'd obviously put some thought into it. It wasn't the hastily thrown together affair that most ninja found themselves calling R and R, but a real holiday, where they could get away from everything in Konoha and act like civilians for a while. Kakashi had but time and effort into this plan, too. He'd found a location where Sakura trees were still blooming, as well as the nicest resort Sakura had ever stayed at. He'd gone to the trouble to bring along his family's garments– clothing that had special memories attached, even if Kakashi had never seen his parents wearing them. He thought enough of her to allow her to wear his mother's kimono.

So, what was she to him?

She turned her head to look at the ninja, whose head was still craned back against the wall. There was no way he could be comfortable in that chair, in that position. Sakura pressed the button on the bed's side rail, to slowly incline her mattress until her head rose to Kakashi's level. He was sitting to her right, however, and his hitae-ate and mask completely covered the profile facing her. His infamous orange book rested, open and face down across his thigh, and his left arm draped over the chair's arm rest. Sakura reached for the only exposed flesh she saw, his hand, and took it in hers, rubbing it gently, feeling the between-the-fingers calluses that identified him as shinobi. His nails were trimmed neatly, though, cuticles smooth, not ragged. At first glance, Kakashi gave the impression of slovenliness, with his aura of lethargy, wild hair, rumpled clothes and inattentiveness, but it was clear, on closer inspection, that this was a front, like so much about him. She'd figured this out the first time she'd entered his apartment, and seen how orderly (almost anal-retentive in its cleanliness and organization, actually) it was. Kakashi was a deliberate man. This had been made clear the first day of their training, when Naruto tried, ineffectually, to get the bell from him. Everything he'd done that day had been for a reason, and it was always thus. Kakashi thought things through. He made plans and counter-plans. If anything, he over-planned. His plans had included Sakura, of late. Just what did this mean?

Was he in love with her? This obviously was what Junko was implying. But what would the medic know? Had she talked to him? It didn't seem possible that Kakashi would have shared something like that with him, even if he had been upset, or out of it, or exhausted. They were strangers, after all, and Kakashi was less than open with people he'd known for years, people he might even consider to be friends. But Junko was right when she said that the medical profession laid people and their relationships bare. Sakura had seen many overt signs of affection, passion and desperation from family members of the gravely ill, and she had recognized many more subtle signs as well. Junko's observation could not, therefore, be dismissed so easily.

Sakura shook her head. There was no way Junko could be correct. Kakashi in love with _her_?

_Entertain the idea for a moment, Sakura. Doesn't the evidence fit? Removing his mask. Letting you stay with him. Taking you to Kawahana. Nursing you when you were ill. Somehow getting you to Snow Country and staying by you side, apparently not eating or sleeping for 36 hours._ _Doesn't it fit?_ _What else could it be, Sakura?_

_A mentor looking after his former student, nothing more._ _Kakashi always put himself in harm's way for us._

But, no, that just didn't fit. He'd never done anything like this for Sasuke or Naruto. Both of them were better students, more talented than she. If this were a student-teacher thing, she wouldn't be on the receiving end. She was sure of it. And if he were eager to put himself in harm's way for her, where had he been these past eight years?

_This just doesn't make sense._

_Does it need to? Why do you have to be so analytical?_

_Because–_

_Because you're afraid. You''re intellectualizing because you've never been in love._

_There's Sasuke– doesn't he count for something?_

_You said it yourself. It was puppy love. Real love isn't like that. And even if you did love him, he didn't love you back._

_Right, so I don't know what it feels like to be loved– not in that way. And who said I was in love, anyway?_

_What if you are? Would that be so horrible?_

_How on earth would I even know?_

_Do you want to be around him? Does he make you smile? If he disappeared tomorrow, how would you feel?_

_I..._

_When he kissed you, didn't you like it?_

_It felt nice._

_Is _that _how it felt? "It felt nice." And it snows a bit here, too. Just a bit._

_It felt... right. Is that what you want to hear?_

_I know it felt right. I was there. The way I remember it, you wanted more, your heart beat a little more rapidly, your breath quickened..._

_Right. Those are signs of infatuation. Infatuation isn't love._

_No, but most love does start with infatuation. Admit it, the man is incredibly gorgeous._

_Hmm. _Sakura smiled to herself._ He is. But–_

_Here comes the rationalization!_

_He's a pervert. Whenever I'm around water, he's there, just in time to see me naked._

_So? He's a man, after all, and he's attracted to you. And you seem to be a bit of a pervert yourself._

_Go away._

Sakura realized she was squeezing Kakashi's hand. Rather hard, in fact, though he hadn't woken up.He murmured her name.

"Kakashi?"

He didn't answer, and Sakura realized he must still be sleeping. She rose from her bed, and moved to Kakashi's other side. His eye was moving under its lid– apparently he was dreaming. Of her. His dream didn't seem peaceful, either. He slid down in his chair as he muttered her name again. She noticed his hands were clenched.

"Don't. Please, don't." There was urgency in his voice.

_This is intrusive. I shouldn't be watching this. _

Sakura attempted to move away, but his hand reached out and grabbed her. She averted her eyes, ashamed to be eavesdropping on his inner conversations.

"Kakashi? Wake up."

"This can't be happening again. Please, take me to her." He tugged on her arm, and Sakura turned to look at him. A tear slid from under his closed lid, and slowly made its way across the small expanse of uncovered skin above his mask. Sakura lightly ran her finger over the salty track it made, stopping at his mask. It was wet, she realized, as was his hitae-ate. She removed them both, and wiped his face with the hem of her cotton gown.

"It's okay, Kakashi. It's only a dream."

"Sakura. Don't leave me." His voice cracked as he whispered.

"I won't leave you, Kakashi." She found herself leaning over him, kissing his cheek over and over as she murmured soothing words. "It's just a dream, Kakashi. Everything's going to be okay."

"Sakura?"

Sakura's eyes widened as she pulled back to stare into Kakashi's fully open, but somewhat confused eyes. She flushed immediately and tried to back away further, only to be pulled rather abruptly into his arms.

He crushed his lips against her. This was nothing like the accidental kiss of the night before. Sakura felt the passion bubbling up from deep within the copy ninja and from her, as well. After several moments he broke the kiss, and pulled her closer, to rest his head on her shoulder. She struggled to calm herself down. She had never felt like this before.

"Don't ever leave me, Sakura. I don't think I could bear it."

"Kakashi, what are you talking about? Why would I leave you?"

"You were dying, Sakura."

Her illness had been that bad? Why hadn't Junko told her? "Dying?" She pulled back, raising his head to look into his eyes. "_Dying? _I thought I was better_--_"

"I've been crazy with worry. I dreamt–"

"I'm right here, Kakashi. I'm not going anywhere."

He was fully awake now, and suddenly fully cognizant of the fact that Sakura was leaning into him, dressed only in her hospital gown. He looked at her, and noticed no IV, no tubes or wires of any kind. His voice held a hint of concern, if not outright annoyance. "What are you doing out of bed?"

"I'm done with intensive care. They're sending me back to a regular room. Good news, huh?"

"Get in bed. Now."

"Kakashi–"

"Sakura, don't argue with me about this. Just do it." _I am not going to lose you again._

She climbed into the bed, a bit confused and more than a bit irritated. Sakura turned away from Kakashi as she tried to make sense out of what had just occurred. She'd comforted him, and in doing so, awakened him. They'd shared a passionate kiss, he'd told her never to leave him, and then ordered her into her bed. But apparently not for the reasons one might assume, given the circumstances. Had their kiss upset him? Was it horrible? She really had no way of knowing. Who knew what was going through his mind. Whatever his reasons, he was acting as though it hadn't happened. "You know, Kakashi," she said, finally. "I remember, not too long ago, that you pulled out your IV and catheter and tried to make a run for it. I only did the first two things. What's the problem? Why are you holding me to a different standard?" _Same old Kakashi._ She sighed.

"I didn't nearly die, Sakura. That's what the problem is." He collapsed into his chair, and held his head in his hands, his fingers tugging at the strands that fell into his eyes. "How much do you remember, Sakura?"

"Not much." Her voice softened. "Why don't you tell me everything."

"You got sick at the cherry blossom festival."

"I remember that."

"Then you developed a fever and splitting headache. Light bothered you. You felt like you were on fire, but your hands and feet were icy cold. I tried bathing you to cool you down, and each time I did, it worked for a little while. You became delirious and agitated. I called in a doctor and he said you would die. He mentioned Snow Country might be able to cure you, so I carried you there."

"How far?"

"Does it matter?"

"Actually, it does."

"Do you think I wouldn't have carried you if it was too far?"

"No. I think you would have died trying. That's not why I asked."

He refused to answer. "I sent Pakkun with a message to Tsunade. She got us entry into Snow, and told me to find Junko. By the time we got to the hospital, your fever was at the point where you were about to develop brain damage." He looked away from her, and paused.

"But I didn't."

"I was terrified, Sakura. If I had left a half-hour earlier, you would have been in no danger."

"How many kilometers did you travel, Kakashi?"

"Sixty."

"Sixty? You ran, didn't you?" He nodded. "You ran a marathon– no, more than a marathon-- no doubt in record time, considering the load you were carrying, yet you berate yourself. You did it, Kakashi. You saved my life."

"Right. They treated you, chilled you, and you were doing much better, except for your vision. Junko was sure everything was fine, and you seemed fine to me. And then..."

"What, Kakashi?"

"Your body began to shut down. As they died, the bacteria released poisons into your system. Five medics burned their chakra at both ends to bring you back– and still they weren't sure it was enough."

"And you waited, and waited." She looked at the worry still evident on his face. "And you blamed yourself, didn't you, Kakashi?" He didn't respond. His face closed, assuming the stoic expression he so often wore.

"You saved my life, Kakashi." He shook his head, as he gazed steadfastly at his knees.

"You have an amazing talent at turning white into black. I swear, you could take the most glorious day and turn it rainy and desolate. The fact is, Kakashi, you saved my life. Admit it. Even if I had died later, Kakashi, you saved my life. Period."

"You don't understand." The words were barely audible.

"I think I do."

"Then tell me, Sakura. Tell me what I'm feeling." His voice was harsh.

She looked at him, and was silent for a few minutes as she collected her thoughts.

"You think you deserve to be unhappy. You think you tempted fate by becoming... close to me. You felt you were being punished, and that you will be punished. You are afraid that I will die tonight, or tomorrow, or sometime soon, and that–"

"Stop. You have no idea how I feel."

"Then let me tell you how I feel." Her voice rose as she spoke passionately. "Hatake Kakashi, you came back into my life after eight years of loneliness. I don't know if you meant to, but you hurt me when you left. You were my closest friend, and you abandoned me, and when you came back to Konoha you treated me as though we'd never known each other. Then you came back from your last mission, and suddenly we were friends again. I realized how much I had missed you. Kakashi, this month has been worth more to me than the eight years before it. There's no comparison. If you died tomorrow, the pain I would feel would be indescribable. But it would be worth every tear, because I'd have memories of you. I've lost people, too, Kakashi. I know what it feels like. But I can't stop living because I'm afraid it will happen again. You showed me that. I did stop living eight years ago. And you brought me back. I'm not going to live as though I were dead anymore. Kakashi, I think–"

"I don't deserve your friendship, Sakura."

"Kakashi, I think I'm falling in love with you."

"What?" His face showed his incredulity.

Sakura shrank back into her pillow as she saw the look on her former teacher's face. She had been wrong about his feelings, and she'd just made a terrible fool of herself. She stammered. "Kakashi, gomen. Forget I said it. I know you wouldn't–"

Her next words went unheard, as Kakashi pressed his lips against her, more gently this time. He kissed her, savoring the softness of her against him, and the beautiful smell of her skin, which somehow wasn't overpowered by the smell of disinfectant that lingered in the building. Finally, he pulled away and touched his forehead to hers. "I never thought I'd hear you say that, Sakura. I never thought you'd feel the same way I do."

"Apparently, I do."

"You don't think I'm too old?"

"Only if you don't think I'm too young."

"And this doesn't feel weird to you?"

"Kakashi, I've never been in love before. Of course it feels weird. But not because of our ages, or because you were my teacher, half my lifetime ago. It's just new, that's all."

"I've never been in love before, either, Sakura."

"Then we'll stumble though it together, I guess." She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer, a small smile gracing her features. "I haven't had a lot of practice, you know, at kissing and stuff. So you'll have to teach me." She giggled as she gently touched his lips with her own. "I'm a very good student, you know."

"How could I forget?"


	29. Tranquility seventh date

_Disclaimer: Naruto and associated characters are property of Masashi Kishimoto. They are not my property!_

**Fourteen Dates **

_Author's note: Lots of conversation in this chapter, and not lots of plot. But some light smut towards the end! And it's only the beginning. Numerous lemons to come. Please stop reading if you are under age 18. You've been warned._

_Sorry for the delay in posting this chapter. I've been ill this week, and unable to take time off work, so I've been spending my not so abundant free time sleeping. Feeling better now, though._

**Chapter 29–Tranquility– Seventh Date**

Brilliant light and a soft, grunting noise awakened Sakura. She was back in the post-op wing of the hospital, she remembered, which explained the window, the bright light and hideous curtains, as well as the larger size of the room. The noise, though, was a mystery. Sakura rolled over, noticing the bed next to her was empty, though definitely it had been slept in. A fawning nurse had suggested, the night before, that Kakashi take the empty bed, as there were quite a few empty beds on the ward, and small possibility of a suddenly influx of patients. Strictly speaking, it was against hospital policy to allow visitors to bed down, but she was willing to look the other way. She'd said this in a flirtatious tone, after using quite a different tone to thoroughly dress down Sakura for removing her IV and catheter. She'd had no right to do so, medic or no, the nurse had huffed. What if they'd suddenly needed to give her fluids? The nurse had turned to Kakashi and smiled winningly, seemingly commiserating with him over the fact that he had such a uncooperative ward, or niece, or daughter. Kakashi had taken out his book, ignoring her, though he didn't turn a single page in the five minutes the nurse remained in the room, reminding Sakura of her responsibilities as a patient. He'd sighed a few times, though, which had made Sakura giggle.

Where was he now? Sakura sat up, looked down, and finally located the source of the guttural noises.

"What are you up to?"

"Two hundred twelve," Kakashi replied, not at all out of breath. "Thought I should get in at least the bare minimum of training." Sakura fondly remembered the times, as a twelve-year old, that she'd sat on his back to provide additional weight. She'd never mastered the one-fingered push-up. None of team seven had, apart from their sensei. Kakashi's slim form was quite deceiving, belying tremendous strength and endurance.

"Such a hard ass."

"How would you know, Sakura?" She blushed, remembering their passionate kisses of the night before. He continued with his pushups, a wicked smile fixed under his mask.

"How did you sleep?" It was better to ignore his suggestive comments, she thought.

"Wonderfully. It's amazing what a difference a mattress makes. Now if only I could find something decent to eat."

"You mean you don't like rice gruel? It's probably on the menu again. I'd be happy to give you mine, Kakashi. I just want some coffee."

"I think it's possible that you're a worse patient than I am, Sakura," the copy-nin chuckled. "You're not going to ask me to smuggle some in, are you?"

Sakura lowered her brows at him. That had been her very next question.

"I guess I'll see you in a while then. It's been ages since I've had miso soup and saury for breakfast. Snow is known for its cuisine, you know." He rose to his feet and headed to the door.

"Kakashi! You wouldn't!"

"Relax, Sakura. I'll be back in five minutes. I'm just going down to the cafeteria to round up something half-way edible."

He was back in _thirty _minutes, time enough for a nutritious meal to be delivered and to cool off, uneaten, on Sakura's nightstand. O-kayu. Again. She really didn't know how anyone could stomach the texture of it. It was like wallpaper paste– gooey, sludgy and completely unappetizing. The scent of lilacs, on the other hand, was invigorating and refreshing. It preceded Kakashi's entry into the room. His upper half was barely visible, given the enormous size of the bouquet he carried.

"Kakashi. Where on earth did you get these? It's much too cold here for these to grow." She leaned over to smell the blossoms as Kakashi moved the tray from her bedside and replaced it with the heavy vase. "They're beautiful. I've never seen white lilacs before."

"Snow imports goods from all over the world. Their flowers are grown in hothouses in the southern hemisphere."

"How could that be cost efficient?" Kakashi did not answer. His parsimonious nature seemed to be nonexistent where Sakura was involved. He set a brown paper bag on by Sakura's side.

"I thought you might like to try these."

Sakura eagerly opened the bag. Inside were two heavenly-smelling, golden rolls.

"Pain au chocolat," Kakashi explained. "There's an interesting bakery right outside the hospital. It has all sorts of international delicacies. We'll stop there for breakfast once they release you."

Sakura bit into the croissant, which shattered as she did so, casting flakes of pastry all over her blanket. She moaned softly as she tasted the rich dark chocolate chunk at the center of the pastry. Kakashi pulled out the second roll and joined her in gustatory bliss. "You know what would make this perfect?" she asked.

"I'm guessing the answer to that is coffee. Sorry. I only have two hands."

"There's tea, at least. Would you like to share?"

Kakashi poured tea into the small ceramic cup that lay on Sakura's breakfast tray, and offered it first to her, before drinking some himself. "I saw Junko on my way out. She's planning on releasing you tomorrow."

"Really?" Sakura nearly jumped out of the bed in her excitement.

"She wants to give you a tour of her lab later today. And she gave permission for me to take you outside for a little while. Do you think you're up to it?"

"I'm bored to death, Kakashi! Of course I'm up to it!"

"You'll be in a wheelchair, you realize. She was adamant. But at least you can wear street clothes." He winked. "There's no need for the hidden village to see your... attributes."

Sakura blushed, and hopped out of the bed, making a beeline for the bathroom while clutching her hospital gown closed behind her. Kakashi heard the shower running, the vigorous brushing of teeth, and the somewhat familiar sounds of Sakura swearing, although the object of her outburst was unclear. He'd met no kunoichi with a vocabulary as rich and crude as hers. A moment later the door cracked open, and Sakura meekly asked if Kakashi would fetch her clothing. He considered not doing so for a moment. The hospital towels, he had noticed, were somewhat scanty. But, he reasoned, there would be plenty of time to see Sakura naked in the future, and plenty of time to play hospital, as well. Jiraiya had written several splendid hospital scenes, he recalled. Hopefully, Sakura would be game for a reenactment– she'd seemed to enjoy the _Icha, Icha_ she'd read so far. He'd always liked how she looked in her medic's uniform. If she just raised the hem a little bit, and lowered the neckline to show just a hint of cleavage, it would be perfect for what he had in mind.

His thoughts were interrupted as Sakura leaned her head out and cleared her throat. He quickly collected himself and tossed her clothes to her. She didn't respond as he hoped, instead allowing them to drop to the floor and glaring at him fiercely until he came over, picked them up and deposited them in the hands which appeared through the door's opening. She shut the door, but reopened it moments later, a questioning look on her face. "Kakashi, where is my bra? Or my bindings?"

"I was in a bit of a hurry when we left, Sakura. I forgot."

"Oh. I see. I guess I should be grateful you remembered everything else." She shut the door again, but emerged a few minutes later, looking refreshed, healthy, and quite ready to leave the confines of the hospital.

"I'm guessing it's cold out, considering that there was frost on the window this morning. There's no hairdryer, so I didn't wash my hair. It needs it, though." She grimaced as she ran her fingers through it.

"I didn't bring our coats– we needed to travel light." He pulled several blankets out of the room's cupboard, and opened the door to bring in a highly polished wheelchair. Kakashi patted the seat, and Sakura reluctantly took her place in it, fidgeting a bit as he tucked blankets over her lap and around her shoulders. The loss of autonomy she was feeling was annoying.

_I'm eating gruel, using a wheelchair, and wearing blankets that might as well be shawls._

"I feel like I'm ninety years old."

"Join the club, Sakura. Now you know why I hate the hospital." _One of the reasons, at least._

"You're not old, Kakashi. You're in the prime of your life."

"You know, 'prime of your life' is something you say to middle-aged people to make them feel better about being halfway to their deaths." He pushed the wheelchair down the pristine halls of the hospital. It was silent as it moved against the mirror-polished floors.

"You really do have a talent for turning white into black, Kakashi. Way to take a compliment, old man."

"Why are you calling me that?" He looked closely at her as he backed the wheelchair into the elevator.

"Because you obviously want me to. Don't you?" She tried not to smile at him.

"No," he said, scowling.

"Well, it really doesn't matter, Kakashi. You're the most attractive old man I know." She looked up at him as innocently as she could. "You're aging really well."

"I'm not sure why I smuggled in breakfast for you, Sakura."

"Actually, Kakashi, you're the most attractive man I know, period." He leaned over to kiss her, seconds before the door opened behind him, and several people pushed into the small space. Kakashi stood up quickly and moved behind the wheelchair, gripping its handles to move it further into the elevator. The slightest blush was evident on the exposed skin of his face. The pair was the object of several curious stares. Foreign ninja were uncommon in snow, and these two apparently were romantically involved. Their remaining time in the elevator was thankfully short and soon Sakura and Kakashi left the interlopers behind. Both sighed as the elevator doors closed behind them, but not before they heard several murmurs about the state of morals in Fire Country, brazen kunoichi, cradle robbers, and the like.

"Are you sure about this, Sakura?" Kakashi asked as they entered the garden. It was beautiful, as Junko had said it would be, even under the cover of thick snow that was only beginning to melt. "I kind of sprung it on you, didn't I?"

"No, Kakashi. You didn't spring it on me– I was just a little slow on the uptake. I _am _sure, but I'm a little scared."

"About people's reaction-- like we just saw?"

Sakura laughed. "Attitudes like that don't bother me, Kakashi. People are always quick to judge. They've probably never met someone from Fire before, but they had an opinion at the ready. So why should I care what they think about my morals, or our relative ages?"

"My age really doesn't bother you?"

"For the last time, Kakashi, no. But it bothers _you_, doesn't it? Is it going to get in the way?"

"I just worry that I'm depriving you–"

"Of what?"

"Of your youth."

"What exactly does that mean? What is 'my youth'? You sound like Gai."

Kakashi frowned. He did not appreciate being compared to the green clad menace of Konoha. "Being carefree, happy-go-lucky..." He _did_ sound like Gai!

"Kakashi, I'm a _ninja_. How many ninja are carefree and happy-go-lucky, apart from Naruto? And let's face it, he's carefree in the way that only the impossibly dense can be."

Kakashi laughed, despite the seriousness of the topic. "You know what I mean, Sakura."

"You mean going out every night and being a party girl, like Ino before she got married? I've never been that, Kakashi, even though she's my closest female friend. Ino tried and tried. How could you be depriving me of something I never wanted?"

"Hmm."

"Kakashi, you have to know what a commodity you are. You're the top shinobi in a town where shinobi are worshiped. Women talk about you constantly. It used to make me uncomfortable to hear my sensei talked about like he was a piece of meat, but now... It's not like I'm settling, Kakashi. Surely you must know that. You have quite a reputation, you know."

Kakashi looked distinctly uncomfortable on hearing that last remark. He knew women often gossiped, but he wasn't sure how much detail they went into, or whether they embellished their stories the way men did. He certainly did not feel guilty about the number of "experiences" he'd had over the years, but it was strange to think that stories about him circulated as much as Sakura had suggested. Somehow, he'd thought women were more discreet when it came to such matters. It bothered him that Sakura might have heard tales about his sexual prowess, even if the tales were mostly true. But there was nothing he could do about it.

"Well, if it doesn't bother you, Sakura, I'm fine with it. I'm not going to let something like that stand in our way. But you said that you were a little scared. Of what?"

"I've never done this before, Kakashi. I already told you that."

"Ah." He thought for a moment, as he wheeled her over to a bench, set between two fir trees. The bench and trees had been cleared of snow by the groundskeepers, but much the ground around them was still covered in a white, unsullied blanket. Despite the brilliant sunlight that reflected off the snow surrounding them, the day was quite cool. Kakashi couldn't help squinting as he turned toward Sakura. "So, what's the scariest part?"

"All of it."

"That's not an acceptable answer, Sakura."

"Are you grading me, Kakashi?"

"No. I'm not sure I understand what "never done this before" means, Sakura. That's all." He lifted her out of her seat, blankets and all, and sat down on the bench, with her in his lap.

"It means... everything." She looked at him for a moment, then away, as her face reddened. "I've never been in love, Kakashi. The closest I came was when I was twelve. But stalking another twelve-year-old doesn't count. I was infatuated with a person named Sasuke, but not the real Sasuke. I was in love– and really not even that-- with a person I created. My Sasuke didn't exist. The real Sasuke had almost nothing in common with him, apart from the way he looked. It was easy to confuse the pain of unrequited love with real love, and to get so used to the feeling of constant rejection that it almost became an obsession to continue experiencing it. As long as I felt the pain, I thought I was in love. I had a book that told all about love– how love is patient, how love endures. I thought that was what I was doing–enduring, being patient, but I was completely wrong. And then, after my parents died, I gave up. I decided I didn't want to get close to anyone, let alone fall in love. I'd obviously failed miserably at it. So, the problem is that I don't know what love really feels like– apart from what I'm starting to feel for you. I don't know how I'm going to react as our relationship develops."

Kakashi pulled down his mask and kissed her lightly. "You worry too much."

"Kakashi, I have no experience at this. Do you know what I mean?"

He cocked his eyebrow at her. Surely she wasn't telling him she was a virgin. Sakura had dated Sasuke when he'd returned, and from the number of progeny he'd had with Ino, it was clear that he was no slouch in the bedroom.

"Kakashi, I've never even been kissed the way you kissed me last night."

How could Sasuke not have kissed her passionately? How could he not have made love to her, over and over again? The Uchiha was as much an enigma as he'd always been.

"Was it horrible, Sakura?"

She laughed, then blushed. "No! Yes. I don't... know. It felt incredible, but I only know what I've read in medical books– and they don't go into kissing very much, except as the method of transmission for certain diseases. No mechanics. And there's what I learned in kunoichi classes. And that was kind of abstract and dry– not particularly hands-on, you know? And there was what Ino told me– she had lots of experience-- but I never took her up on her offer to practice. I'm sure I'm a horrible kisser."

Kakashi smiled at his former student's tendency to both intellectualize and prattle when nervous, and raised his eyebrow at her comment about Ino. He wondered what exactly was going on at the Uchiha mansion. "You think you're going to disappoint me."

She nodded, head turned away. He slowly turned her head toward him and looked into her eyes. "You're a passionate woman, Sakura. You put your heart into everything you do. There's no way you'll disappoint me."

"I'm the oldest virgin in Konoha, Kakashi."

"You're certainly the most beautiful."

She laughed. "There aren't that many virgins in Konoha, you know."

"Still." He ran his fingers through her hair, and kissed the crown of her head. He had no idea what she had been speaking of earlier, about her hair needing to be washed. She smelled as she always did, like Sakura. A hint of vanilla, a hint of freshly crushed ferns and something else that was indescribable and unique. She was so incredibly beautiful, inside and out. How was it possible that she was still a virgin?

"You're not a horrible kisser, you know. I'd say you're a natural talent." Kakashi's voice was a soft growl in her ear.

Sakura giggled.

"This is going to be fun, you know." He kissed her once on the lips, then moved to gently touch her neck with feather soft caresses.

"There won't be a bell test, will there?"

"No, Sakura. Well, if you really want one, I'm sure I could pull something together." He winced as she punched him. Even her most playful punches packed a powerful wallop. "Is there anything else you're afraid of?"

She was quiet for a few minutes. "I need to know what I mean to you, Kakashi. I don't want to give up our friendship for a brief fling. You mean too much to me."

"I don't want to scare you, Sakura, but this isn't a fling to me. I've never felt this way about anyone before."

"You're not the person I thought I knew, Kakashi."

"I'm different around you, Sakura. You have a tremendous effect on me."

"And that doesn't scare you?"

"I've thought about it for a while." Sakura smiled. He _was _deliberate in everything he did. Love appeared to be no different. "I like the effect you have on me. I want this– I want us to happen."

Sakura draped the tail end of her blanket over Kakashi, noticing that he was shivering slightly, as he was wearing only his uniform shirt and vest. "You're cold. Should we go back inside?"

"No. Let's walk. I'll warm up, once we get moving." He placed Sakura back in the wheelchair, over her objections– she had the use of her legs, after all– and quickly wheeled her down a winding path that led out of the wooded area. The paths were completely devoid of snow, Kakashi noticed. He wouldn't be surprised if they heated the paths. The people of snow were that enamored of technology. He walked quickly to to get the blood moving in his body, and they quickly came upon a frozen pond. It was clearly manmade– there was no stream or river nearby and no tell-tale signs of damp ground such as cattails or rushes. Still, it was beautiful, even in its most desolate time of year.

"Have you noticed there are almost no footprints? Everywhere we've visited in the garden is the same." Kakashi nodded. Apparently the hospital staff was too busy to take advantage of the gorgeous scenery, or perhaps they'd grown used to it. One's surroundings, beautiful or ugly, became invisible after a while. Kakashi secured the brakes on the wheelchair and excused himself for a moment, quickly returning with a small bouquet.

"Since no one else is enjoying the garden, I don't feel too bad about this."

Sakura smiled as she took the cluster of dark purple, snow-flecked crocuses, which had just begun to open. The bright orange yellow of their stamens and stigmas were just visible between the petals. "They're like you, you know."

"How so?"

Sakura laughed. "It's not obvious?"

"No, not really. I don't wear purple. And I don't like the cold."

Sakura sighed at her soon-to-be-lover's willful ignorance. "They're one of the first flowers of the new year, blooming while there's still snow on the ground. They flourish in adversity."

"Are we talking about me or you?"

"You know, I never thought we were similar, Kakashi."

"Me either. But we are, aren't we?"

"Yes, I guess we are."

...o...o...o...o...

Sakura's afternoon with Junko had been a bit overwhelming. Her lab contained more equipment than the whole of Konoha hospital, and much of it was unfamiliar. Fire was clearly in the stone age compared to Snow. What would happen if the two countries ever went to war? Sakura couldn't help thinking that the tiny northern country would completely dominate its larger neighbor. The saving grace was that Snow's people were completely xenophobic. So long as they didn't develop a desire for more territory, Fire would be safe. They didn't seem to be the most affectionate people– perhaps this meant their population was relatively stable. Sakura had looked around the lab, asking question after question, soaking up as much information as possible. Junko had sent her laboratory staff on numerous errands to ensure that Sakura's visit went unnoticed, and she spent most of the afternoon giving Sakura a primer on infectious disease, vaccination, and immunology. She was even kind enough to give Sakura several scrolls. "Memorize and destroy them before you leave Snow. You'll be tried for treason if they find them on your person at the border." Junko shook her head in embarrassment. Knowledge, in her view, was something to be shared, not a political weapon. "I assume you'll be staying in Snow for a few days before you journey south. In fact, as your medic, I'm ordering it. You need at least two or three days here before attempting any hike, and when you do leave, your travel needs to be brief. I'm sure Tsunade will have additional advice for you. Please thank your colleague for sending my message on with his dog."

Kakashi had decided that it was okay to leave Sakura's side for a bit, considering that she'd be in Junko's care the entire time he was gone. He'd quickly dispatched Pakkun, as soon as he'd found an isolated place in which to summon him, and had gone into the shopping district of the town to procure some supplies and a change of clothing. He was beginning to smell a bit rank, he feared, after several days in the same clothes, and both of them needed some warm outerwear. He had another reason for visiting this part of town, but it wasn't one he was willing to share with Sakura just yet. He'd smiled to himself as he returned to the hospital and took the elevator to the floor which contained the research labs. He entered Junko's lab to find Sakura deep in animated conversation with the older medic. He had no idea what they were talking about, as he'd never heard a good two-thirds of the terms they bandied back and forth, but it was amusing to see Sakura so excited. Her eyes burned with excitement as she turned and noticed him standing in the doorway.

"Kakashi, if we can duplicate some of these protocols, we won't lose any more children to scarlet fever or meningitis. Isn't that incredible?"

He nodded and smiled. Tsunade would probably give Sakura her own research lab when they returned. It would be an immediate loss to those who depended on her healing abilities, but Kakashi was glad of the possibility. He'd seen on several occasions how Sakura pushed herself to the limit when dealing with life or death cases. Her current job was by its nature draining, and there was only so long she'd be able to continue before burning out completely. Constant overuse of chakra could take years off a person's life as it aged one prematurely from the inside out. As a researcher she could put her amazing intellect to good use, and save even more lives than she did currently.

"What did you buy?" She wheeled up to him and tried to pull the shopping bags from his hands. He held the bags out of her reach, and addressed Junko instead. "Kota-sama, thank you again for everything you've done for both of us. We are in your debt." He bowed deeply and rose to ask a more mundane question. "Is Sakura free to leave tomorrow?"

Junko nodded. "I've already told Sakura of my expectations, but I'll put it in writing, as well. I've been told about this one's headstrong nature, and it's imperative that she rest for the next few weeks."

"Understood." Kakashi turned and smiled at Sakura. "Looks like your stuck with me for a bit longer. Shall we?" He grabbed the wheelchair's handles and moved her smoothly down the hall to the elevator. "I never thought shopping could be so exhausting. I can't wait to lie down on that bed again."

"Why won't you tell me what you bought?"

"Sakura, has anyone ever told you how much fun you are to tease?"

Unfortunately for Kakashi, the bed he was hoping to occupy had been filled sometime earlier that day. A battle-scarred, toothless shinobi of Snow lay in the bed closest to the door, propped up to allow a better view the television bolted to the wall opposite him. He barely looked away from the blaring TV as the couple entered the room, grunting a response to their greeting. The curtain dividing the room had been pulled shut, which was fine with the two younger occupants of the room. Kakashi noticed the man was tethered to the bed by the IV bag that hung from his headboard. For some reason, he hadn't been provided with a movable IV pole. At least he wouldn't be springing out of bed. The bathroom was on the old man's side of the room, though.

"Don't worry," Sakura whispered as Kakashi helped her into the bed. "We can share." She winked at him, and the fact that his bed had been taken by an old codger became much less important to Kakashi. He couldn't, at the moment, think of anything he'd like better than to sleep in the arms of the woman next to him.

Sakura sighed as dinner was delivered. More o-kayu, though the ancient ninja next to them seemed happy to be served it. Sakura stirred the thin gruel the aide placed on the laminate table slid over her bed and made a face. Kakashi laughed, and reached inside one of the bags he'd set down, pulling out two boxed meals.

"My savior!" She pushed the tray to the edge of the table and set the bento box before her, quickly breaking the paper strip that held it closed. "Tempura!" She started eating before Kakashi had even seated himself in the sister of the hideous vinyl chair he remembered from not so long ago.

"You can have mine, too. I'll trade you for the salmon maki."

"Deal." Sakura wolfed down the perfectly fried shrimp first and closed her eyes. She didn't say another word until the box was empty.

"I'm glad to see your appetite has returned."

Sakura frowned at the copy-nin. "There's nothing wrong with a healthy appetite, Kakashi. Just because you forget to eat doesn't mean eating's not important."

"It's not that I forget. It's that I get distracted."

"By a certain orange book."

"Speaking of which." He pulled out his book and started to read, only to have the volume pulled from his hands by the irritated kunoichi.

"Not fair, Kakashi."

"Well, I can't read it aloud, can I? I know you wouldn't want the guy next door to hear."

"Since when do you care what others think?"

"His TV's too loud, anyway. You wouldn't be able to hear me." The inane laughter of a game show punctuated Kakashi's statement.

"You could sit with me and whisper it in my ear."

"Hmm." Kakashi looked at Sakura's face, then down to the book she held. Why not combine his two favorite pastimes into one? He stood and removed the tray of o-kayu from her table, then rolled the table out of the way. "I'll be right back." He walked into the hall to deposit the tray on the rolling, multishelved cart that had been placed there, and reentered the room with a cool look at the bedridden shinobi who had usurped his territory.

"What are you here for?" Kakashi asked conversationally.

"What?" The man sounded irritated. "You'll need to speak up. I've got a hearing problem." Kakashi smiled under his mask. This was perfect for what he had planned. He parted the curtains to enter the more pleasant side of the room, then turned and looked at the cloth critically, moving it slightly to ensure their privacy. He turned to lower the blinds after he tossed another bag to Sakura.

"I figured you were probably tired of that hospital gown." Sakura opened the bag to find a surprisingly tasteful short, cotton nightdress. She giggled as she looked at it. She hadn't expected Kakashi's taste in intimate apparel to be so mundane. He seemed more like the maribou-feather-and-stretch-satin-bustier type. With attached garters, of course, and lacing down the front.

"What?" Kakashi turned to see Sakura's eyes brimming with tears.

She could barely control the laughter that overtook her as an image of her in a risque nightgown came to mind. If Kakashi ever got a look at her lingerie drawer, he'd be in for a shock– it was almost 100 plain vanilla. But in black, of course, which in her mind was even more practical than white. Unlike white, it looked clean even when it was dirty, and it didn't gray in the laundry, or after being beaten against rocks in a stream. Then Sakura realized Kakashi probably _had_ taken a peek at said drawer. He'd fetched items from her apartment before they'd left on this trip, and she knew he was the type that would take any available opportunity for reconnaissance. Somehow, this made her laugh all the more.

"You don't like it." He looked disappointed. He'd tried to find a garment that was not overtly sexy, something that wouldn't intimidate her, but she obviously didn't like his choice.

"No, no, Kakashi." Sakura did her best to stop laughing, but still continued to tremble. "It's beautiful, really. It's not that. It's just that an image suddenly popped into my mind."

"And?"

"I'll tell you later. I really need to shower. My hair is dirty."

"I could use one, too. Care to join me?"

She blushed scarlet. "With that man in the room? Are you kidding?"

"Are you telling me you _would _if he wasn't there?" Kakashi's voice had an edge of incredulity to it.

"Maybe." Sakura got up and walked to the curtain, nightgown in hand.

_Just my luck_, he muttered to himself as he picked up Icha, Icha.

...o...o...o...o...

"You know, your hair seemed fine before. Did you really need to wash it?" Kakashi gently untangled the wet strands of Sakura's hair before running a brush through them.

"I don't think you are much of an expert on the subject of hair care, Kakashi. No offense."

"None taken. So are you going to tell me why you were laughing before?" He set down the hairbrush and settled them both in the bed, he leaning back against the headboard, she, back to him, leaning against his chest, tucked between his legs. A white sheet covered them both. The glow of a single lamp illuminated their side of the room, as well as the eerie blue light from their neighbor's TV, which passed through the white curtain that split the room in two.

"It was nothing, really." She felt a fit of laughter coming on again.

"It didn't seem like nothing." His interest was piqued.

"It's just that I never would have thought you would have picked out so... sedate a nightgown. I mean, I don't think any of the unnamed females in Icha, Icha would wear something like that, and that is where you get most of your ideas, isn't it?"

"You make me sound so one-dimensional, Sakura." But she was right. Icha, Icha certainly did inform most of his romantic (or not so romantic) ideals. He picked up the book from the bedside table and whispered softly into her ear. "Do you remember what we were up to?"

How could he make such a simple question sound so loaded? "I think Jinrai had just lowered nameless woman number three to the ground. You had said the next part was dirty and stopped reading. I think you were embarrassed," she whispered back.

"Her name is Midori. Jiraiya did give this one a name." Kakashi flipped to the appropriate page in the book and began reading softly to Sakura.

_Jinrai lowered her to the ground, tearing off her ruined garment as he did so. He caressed her bruised flesh gently, and honored her with passionate kisses. He'd make her forget her pain, for a while, at least. She deserved nothing less. He rained kisses as gentle as hummingbird wings along her jawline, then moved lower to caress her exquisite collarbones. She was so fragile, her bones so small, yet she moved, he noticed, with the grace of a strong-boned panther._ _She almost purred in her passion, her marvelous green-gold eyes half-closed._

"_What are you waiting for?" she asked, offering herself to him. She didn't need to ask twice. Jinrai moved closer to her, and lowered his lips to her breast, suckling at one, while teasing the other with his highly skilled fingertips. She moaned softly as the apex of each half-globe hardened under his ministrations._

"What are you doing, Kakashi?" His own hand had slipped down her nightgown and was ever so gently caressing her breast through the fabric.

"Am I bothering you?" His whisper was almost a growl.

"It's a little distracting."

"You can't focus on two things at once? That should have been part of your training, you know. Why do you think I'm always reading?"

"Because you're a hentai?" Her whisper scarcely contained a giggle.

"If I am, what does that make you?"

"Horribly corrupted, I think."

"I can stop, if you like."

"No. Don't."

Kakashi chuckled softly. "What am I not stopping?"

Sakura sighed. "Both, stupid."

Sakura couldn't see the smirk of satisfaction on Kakashi's face as he began reading again.

_He removed his mouth from her tender, aroused flesh, and then sat up to kneel by her side. His fingertips moved along her silhouette, and Jinrai smiled as her flesh tightened at his touch, and her breath quickened. He caressed the soft curve of her hip, then moved his hand lower, to part her legs._

"_Tell me your name. I need to know your name."_

"_Jinrai," he said, moments before lowering his head to the warm cleft between her legs._

Kakashi snapped the book shut, replaced it on the bedside table and raised his hand to turn off the light.

"What are you doing?"

"I'd rather focus my complete attention on you." He moved his hand under Sakura's nightdress and brushed his fingertips against her flesh, noticing that she, like the fictional Midori, shuddered at the light touch.

"But he'll hear!" There was a trace of panic in Sakura's whisper.

"No, he won't– listen to how loud the television is. So long as you're quiet, Sakura– aren't you up for the challenge?"

Kakashi was right, Sakura realized. The TV was set at a very high volume. The inane theme song of an apparently very popular show had just come on. It jangled her nerves as it sang about how funny and outrageous the people of Snow were. An over-emotional host spoke next, about the need to send in videos of people caught in the act. Sakura heard their neighbor laughing as the first clip was introduced. Apparently, there was nothing funnier than watching a man get kicked in the crotch, over and over.

"Okay."

Kakashi smiled. How could he have ever thought that Sakura was anything other than perfect for him? His hand found her breast, and massaged it slowly, working steadily toward her areola, which tightened at his touch. He did the same for its partner, rolling the erect nipple between his fingers, causing Sakura to roll her head back against his neck.

"I'm guessing you like that," he whispered.

"So...observant." She could barely speak.

Kakashi chuckled softly as he allowed one hand to trace the line that demarcated Sakura's ribs from her lower half. She gasped at his touch.

"Ticklish? Why am I not surprised?" His hands continued their exploration. "Your skin is like silk, Sakura. I could touch you all night."

"Mmm."

His hand moved lower to trace the curve of her hip, and to brush lightly against the flat expanse of her lower abdomen. "Spread your legs, Sakura."

She complied, but not before asking, "Why?"

"I want to touch you everywhere. Is that okay?"

"Mmm." Kakashi moved his hand to gently caress her thigh, feeling her tense up as he did so.

"I won't hurt you, Sakura, I promise. Just say the word, and I'll stop."

"No. Don't stop, Kakashi." Her voice was not tentative. Kakashi slipped a finger between the folds of her sex, and stroked her. "You're wet, Sakura." The dream he'd had weeks earlier flashed in his mind. He found the analogue to his own aroused member and felt his lover tremble as he touched it lightly. She writhed against him. "Too much?" She nodded vigorously. He stimulated her by a more indirect route, moving one finger inside of her, and relishing her slickness.

"You're so tight, Sakura." His finger moved in and out of her, mimicking the action he so longed to take part in. He inserted a second finger, and became aware of the evidence of her virginity. Like most kunoichi, there wasn't much to speak of– years of vigorous exercise had taken its toll on the fragile membrane. Still, it was possible he was causing her discomfort. He stopped his exploration, and moved slightly to look at her face.

"Am I hurting you?"

Sakura's face was peaceful as she responded. "No, it doesn't hurt. It's funny, though, to feel you inside of me. Kind of like a medical exam."

If only he were really inside of her. But not here, not yet. Not when Junko or some other medic could walk in on them. Tsunade would surely here, and although she knew about Kakashi's feelings for Sakura, she certainly wouldn't appreciate hearing about a public consummation of their love.

"Don't intellectualize, Sakura. Let go and let yourself feel it." His fingers moved to caress her again, more firmly stroking the engorged bundle of nerve endings at the apex of her folds. She moved against him as he did so. Kakashi grabbed her hand, and moved it to where his had been.

"You're so hard, Sakura. Feel yourself." She did so, curious, then moved her hand away. Kakashi sucked each of her fingers of the juices that moistened them, then replaced his hand to caress her further.

"I can tell you're close, Sakura. Don't hold back." She didn't, as a jolt suddenly coursed through her body, electrifying her with its intensity. She almost cried out, but Kakashi used his free hand to cover her mouth. She unknowingly bit into his flesh instead, as the feeling of release fully consumed her. Her movements finally abated, but Kakashi continued to touch her, and brought her to the edge once more.

"Sakura," he murmured, "I want you."

"Then take me, Kakashi."

"No. Not now."

"Please. I want you... inside of me. I want to feel you." She could tell she was close to orgasm again. "Please, Kakashi." He removed his hand.

"Sakura, I want our first time we make love to be special. I'm not going to risk your reputation–"

"But he's asleep! Don't you hear him snoring?"

"It's not him I'm worried about, Sakura. Any nurse or medic could walk in on us.'

"Oh." A tinge of disappointment colored her voice.

"And Sakura–" She twisted around to look at him. "When we do make love, it's going to be an all day thing, not some quickie in a borrowed bed."

"And when will that be, Kakashi?"

"How about tomorrow, once you're released?"

"It's a date, then."


	30. Knowledge eighth date part 1

_Disclaimer: Naruto and associated characters are property of Masashi Kishimoto. They are not my property!_

**Fourteen Dates **

_Author's note: Sick husband, sick son, sick me. Again! I apologize profusely for the long time it has taken to update. I've really been missing these two, and have hated to leave them hanging. Hope the lemon(s) meet expectations. I always have a hard time writing them! Please stop reading now if you are under age 18. That means you. Now._

_This date will be continued in the next chapter._

**Chapter 30– Knowledge– Eighth Date, Part One**

He was still asleep, Sakura noticed, as she stretched, catlike, next to the copy nin and settled in again next to him. It felt so good to be curled up by his side, and to feel the warmth of his firm, muscled body against hers, just as it had felt good to wake up in his unconscious embrace, legs entangled with his, cheek pressed against his naked chest, arms wrapped loosely around him. It felt right like a homecoming; as though she had just rediscovered the place she was always meant to be.

She'd never thought she'd fall in love– that is, she never thought she'd allow herself to do so. She'd thought it wasn't worth the pain, wasn't worth opening herself up and making herself vulnerable to another, given the likelihood of rejection and the abysmal results the last time she had done so. Kakashi had surprised her, though. He was the last person she ever would have expected to show his own vulnerable side. The fact that he had done so for her made the act even more precious. It had also made it easier to take the risk of loving him back.

And he did look vulnerable now, almost childlike. He was dreaming, she saw, his eyes moving back and forth rapidly under their lids, his lips parted and moist, the pillow somewhat damp under his cheek. Hatake Kakashi was a nighttime drooler, apparently. The thought made Sakura giggle aloud, but the bubbling cascade of her laughter did not wake him. She ran her free hand down his side, luxuriating in his warmth, and called his name softly. She was eager to be discharged from the hospital, and the sooner they started their day, the sooner her release would happen. He said her name-- in response, Sakura thought at first, but when he did not answer her next question ("Did you sleep well?"), she realized he was still asleep. The blissful, almost goofy smile on his face told her volumes about the likely subject of his dream. She guessed it was the "all day" event he had referred to the night before. Of course, Kakashi's nighttime dreams (the pleasant ones, anyway) probably did not vary much from this general topic, consumed as he seemed to be with erotic thoughts during the daytime

Sakura harbored some anxiety about the coming day, although she was aware that this anxiety was not about the actual act of consummation of her relationship with Kakashi. She wasn't afraid of the small amount of pain she might feel the first time, and never had been. As a shinobi, pain was something to be taken in stride, the price of doing ones job well, not something to shy away from. Besides, everything she had learned about sex from Ino had suggested that any fleeting pain she might endure would be more than mitigated by subsequent physical pleasure. There was no way losing her virginity could compare to, say, having both shoulders dislocated, which had certainly been the most painful episode she had ever endured, or even to the lesser (though substantial) pain she'd felt when stabbed by a kunai. Pain had nothing to do with the anxiety Sakura felt, nor did modesty, or propriety, or any of the other things that cause young virgins to fret on the eve of their wedding night. Sakura rolled her eyes at this—the image of her as a blushing bride was completely at odds with her persona as a ninja and medic.

Sakura had not remained a virgin by choice—she had never seen the point of waiting, if one were truly in love. If Sasuke had asked her years ago, she would have willingly given herself to him. But he never _had _asked her, much as she'd hoped he would, never given any sign that her feelings for him were reciprocated. And, after ending things with him and losing her parents, Sakura had found she didn't want to be intimate with another, either physically or emotionally. She had known that for her, unlike Ino, sex would never be simply meaningless carnal pleasure, detached from emotion. For Sakura, physical intimacy was closely linked to emotional and spiritual intimacy, and as she hadn't, in the past eight years, allowed herself to grow emotionally close to another, it followed that she hadn't experienced physical intimacy either. Added to this was the sobering fact that as a medic, she saw graphic representations of some of the results of promiscuity. Genma's frequent visits to the clinic immediately came to mind. Ino had been very lucky not to come down with some of the diseases Sakura had treated over the past few years given the casual with contact she'd had with the senbon expert as a teenager (before "winning" Sasuke, of course). Time at the clinic, with its frequent exposure to such symptoms put a bit of a damper on any wanton feelings Sakura might have felt. It had been much, much easier to bury herself in medical scrolls and books and mothball that aspect of her self. But Kakashi had changed all that. Sakura wanted to know him completely, intimately, as lovers know each other. She smiled as she thought of the pleasure he'd brought her the night before, and how very Kakashi-typical the venue had been. She was sure it had added to his pleasure to know there was a man in the next bed who might hear his lover's muffled moans of ecstasy. And to be honest, Sakura had found it exciting as well. It didn't quell the anxiety she felt, though. Would a man as experienced as Kakashi be disappointed in her?

She pushed the nagging feelings of inadequacy out of her mind. There was nothing she could do about her lack of experience—except get some experience. And heavens knew, she was a fast learner. Sakura pressed her lips against Kakashi's and was rewarded by his free arm pulling her closer to embrace her more deeply. She broke the kiss to hear him speak her name.

"Sakura. Touch me."

She blushed at his request, which from the raw, sensual way in which it was uttered could only mean one thing. Sakura looked closely at the copy nin. His eyes were still moving beneath his lids, and it was obvious he was still asleep. She smiled. It was an honor, in a slightly perverted way, to be the star of whatever dream Kakashi was having. What would he do if she _did _touch him? It would certainly turn the tables for him to wake up in such a compromised position. Sakura moved her hand down his bare chest to his drawstring-tied pajama bottoms, deftly untying them and loosening them around his hips. She grasped his erect member and heard him moan softly. His skin felt like charmeuse satin, she realized as she ran her fingertips along his length. But it also felt like velvet, or the skin of a newly ripe peach– so soft and yet so firm.

Sakura lifted the blanket that covered them to get a look at her lover's anatomy. In her work as a medic, Sakura had viewed more shinobi anatomy than she cared to think about, and it was flattering, although simultaneously humiliating how often her male patients became erect during her physicals. Kakashi's "equipment" (as Naruto and Sasuke had so often termed their own anatomy, much to her preteen horror) wasn't the biggest she'd ever seen. On the other hand, he was definitely above average in his vital statistics, though not freakishly so. (Genma popped into her mind again. Her first consultation with the orally-fixated shinobi—a thoroughly embarrassing consultation-- had confirmed for Sakura the true reason for the Konoha Casanova's popularity with a large demographic of the hidden village. This segment of society was quite diverse in terms of occupation, marital status, wealth, beauty, etc., having only gender as a common attribute. Apparently the stories bandied about in the single-sexed, open confessional of Konoha's public baths had not been exaggerated.)

Sakura shook her head, banishing all thoughts except for those directly related to the man still sleeping beside her. Her gentlest touches, she found, were most effective, most likely to make him quiver, most likely to cause his breath to catch slightly. She felt him swell further under her caresses, and smiled at the thought that someone as inexperienced as she could bring him pleasure. She closed her eyes and pressed her lips against the hollow at the base of his neck, parting her lips slightly to allow the tip of her tongue to trace a sinuous line against his flesh. She moved her head lower, relishing the earthy fragrance of his skin, learning the nuances of his body using only her senses of taste, smell and touch. She traced the periphery of each nipple with her tongue, while outlining a similar pattern on the sensitive head of his fully engorged member with light strokes of her fingertips.

"You're a goddess. Sakura…"

Kakashi said her name in a way no one else ever had, as though she truly were a goddess, an erotic deity, perhaps. As though she were the center of his world. Sakura pressed her cheek against the muscled expanse of the sleeping ninja's chest and breathed contentedly, eyes still closed, as she continued her part in Kakashi's erotic dream. Then the breath was knocked out of her, and she found herself pinned under the agile, lightning-fast ninja.

His voice was a whispered growl in her ear. "I never thought you would take advantage of me in my sleep, Miss Haruno."

She squirmed under him as she unsuccessfully attempted to regain the upper hand. "I didn't take advantage of you! You—" Her retort was cut short by the pressure of his lips against her. She yielded immediately, losing herself in his expert embrace. His lips were demanding, the kiss unlike others they had shared. It was raw, its passion fully exposed and heedless of subtlety. He plundered the recesses of her mouth, and bruised her lower lip as he pulled it into his own mouth.

She broke the kiss as she tried to pull her arms free from his restraining hold, and grew annoyed that he could clasp her two wrists so securely within a single hand. He tightened his hold, stretching her arms over her head as he did so, while using his free hand to caress her straining torso.

"Naughty." It was clear he was enjoying this, even more than he'd enjoyed touching her the night before.

"I didn't take advantage of you. You asked me to touch you."

He ignored her as he eyed his hitae-ate instead, considering its suitability as a restraining device, and wondering just how far he could push his nascent lover. He thought better of the impromptu restraints, and released her arms as he propped himself over her and pushed up her nightgown to expose her hips.

"Kakashi? What are you doing?"

"You can't tease me like that and not expect anything to happen, Sakura."

"But--- you said you wanted to wait—that you didn't want our first time to be a quickie." Kakashi noticed the urgent, almost frantic tone in her voice. He did his best to refrain from smiling while savoring her reactions.

"Hmm. But that was before you… took the initiative. I'm a man, Sakura. You can't turn back certain processes once you set them into motion."

"But… _he'll hear_. The television is off." Her head turned to regard the white curtain that hung only centimeters from the narrow bed they shared. Surely their surly neighbor was awake by now.

"He's an old man. Why deny him a vicarious thrill?" Kakashi nearly laughed aloud at the expression on Sakura's face, and took advantage of her obvious shock to push her legs apart with his knee. He guided his length between her folds, stroking gently, then pressing every so slightly against her opening.

"You're wet, Sakura. You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

She nodded, and sought his lips with her own. He teased her until she bucked against him, her body urging him to finish what he'd started. Still, he held back, even after he heard her softly cry, "Please."

"Koji-san! Let's get you prepped for surgery!" An insufferably bright, loud voice filled the room. "We haven't eaten since last night, have we? Koji-san, can you hear me?"

Kakashi rolled off Sakura and hopped out of bed, winking at the flustered kunoichi as he did so. It had taken considerable effort _not_ to finish what he'd started, but the considerable physical discomfort he'd feel for the next few hours would be well worth it, he decided as he watched embarrassment, then realization flicker across Sakura's face, quickly followed by the gentle stirrings of fury.

"You planned this all along, didn't you?"

"Planned what, Sakura?" Kakashi reached for his hitae-ate and mask. "I've never been considered much of a planner—I'm much more the extemporaneous type, don't you think?" He smiled brightly at her, so that the apple of his cheek curved against his eye, and stepped quickly out of the way to dodge an incoming feather-filled missile.

"You knew the nurse was coming."

"You're the one who works in a hospital, not me. I would think that you'd have a far better idea of medical comings and goings." He stripped off his pajamas, affording Sakura an unobstructed view of his well muscled posterior, then leaned over the room's garish vinyl chair as he rifled through his clothing stacked there. Sadly (to Sakura, at least), he found the required garments all too quickly and soon was dressed in a clean facsimile of his usual shinobi attire.

"You had no intention of— Why would you--?" It wasn't like her to stutter, but his (naked) proximity, combined with the fact that she'd been urging him on, only moments before, had left her feeling confused and sparking like an appliance that had been short circuited.

"But you were so obviously enjoying it, Sakura. I never would have pegged you as an exhibitionist. Maybe you're the hentai, not me."

"You knew he was deaf, too, didn't you?" An evil smile was the only acknowledgement she received, but this was acknowledgement enough. He sat on the edge of the bed as he fastened his sandals, then ran his fingers through his hair, which looked about the same after he finished.

"Haruno-san?" The nurse's disturbingly cheerful voice interrupted their whispered conversation. "Are you awake?" A face dominated by a very toothy smile poked through the opening in the curtains and scanned the room and its occupants. "Oh, good. Head medic Sota will be by in an hour or two to give you an exam, and then you'll be free to go." She smiled at Kakashi, and bowed slightly. "Our patient is very lucky that her father could join her."

Sakura chortled as the exposed skin on Kakashi's face turned as crimson as the training dress she had favored years ago. He totally deserved it.

"I'm not—" he began, but was quickly interrupted by Sakura.

"Daddy? Could we go shopping? I need a new dress. And some pretty new underwear." She smiled innocently, noting with pleasure how his visible eye widened at her remark.

The nurse looked at them strangely, then stepped back, letting the curtain fall into place.

"Touche." Sakura smiled winningly at this acknowledgement, and began to hum as she climbed from the bed.

"Know that there will be payback, though, Sakura."

"Of course, Kakashi-kun. I know whom I'm dealing with."

"I'll be back in an hour or so. Enjoy your o-kayu."

…o…o…o…o…

"This city isn't what I expected. It's so different from Konoha." Sakura had been to Snow, once before, but not to its hidden village. It was cleaner, much cleaner than Konoha, and almost sterile in the precision of its layout and smooth expanses of stone and glass. Konoha was a city that was truly organic. It had sprung up in a patchwork fashion and had grown into a motley collection of buildings, which were often repurposed as the city grew and changed. It was patched, and taped, and taped again, its pipes and conduits exposed, its stucco cracked and crumbling in places, fresh and new in others. Konoha felt lived in, and alive, a true product of human endeavor. Yukigakure, on the other hand, felt cold and lifeless. If it were indeed alive, it was a being that tolerated humans as one might an annoying but relatively harmless parasite. It was beautiful, though, more beautiful than Konoha might ever hope to be, an ice princess to Konoha's girl next door.

"Our hotel." Kakashi pointed down the street to a tall glass and metal building—one so tall that Sakura couldn't see the highest stories, even with her head craned back.

"How can this be a hidden village with something so tall protruding from it? It would be like a beacon, day or night."

"Genjutsu, Sakura. Yukigakure isn't visible unless you know what to look for."

"A citywide genjutsu? 24-7? Who maintains it?"

"Good question. It would take an incredible amount of chakra to maintain. But apparently it's the best solution to their problem. This country is so small that its occupants have been forced to build up instead of out, to conserve the remaining farmland."

"So when is the invasion?"

"Don't think that the other hidden villages aren't asking the same question. Snow may be a small country, but it would be a formidable adversary." He walked with Sakura through doors that were held open for them by smartly attired doormen, and across a lobby minimally, though elegantly decorated to complement its streamlined architecture. "I've already checked us in." She noticed the key he pulled out of his pocket.

"We're on the twentieth floor?"

"Penthouse suite, actually." She noticed the smile in his visible eye.

"How can you afford this, Kakashi?" He'd always been so stingy. When had this changed?

"I'm not paying. Tsunade is." Ah. Things made more sense, now. "She sent funds with her message. She spares no expense when it comes to you, it seems."

"I'm sure I'll end up paying for it, somehow."

"I'm sure you already have. She also treats you like an indentured servant."

"Isn't that what an apprentice is?"

"Is that how I treated you?"

"No. But…" Sakura looked away as she stepped into the plushly carpeted elevator.

"You're thinking benign neglect is easily as bad as abject servitude, aren't you?" He lifted her chin, both of them ignoring the widening cityscape visible through the glass wall of the elevator. She nodded. "If I had it to do over again, Sakura, I would do things differently. I gave the most competent student short shrift. I shouldn't have ignored you."

"Well, you're not ignoring me now, are you?" Her smile was real, and happy. Her eyes closed as she lifted onto the balls of her feet to capture his lips with her own. She smiled again as she realized her lips were touching flesh, not fabric, warm, perfect flesh. They kissed until the elevator slid to a smooth hydraulic stop, then hurried to the room Kakashi had reserved for them.

The room was a match for Kakashi, Sakura noticed as she stepped into the space. The metal frame and glass skin of the building were unhidden by inner walls. Their linear structure was complemented by the boxy lines of simply upholstered furniture and by draperies in shades of grey, from frosty silver to soft charcoal. The room had a feeling of crispness and competence and betrayed no sign of vulnerability, unless one looked very closely, underneath the underneath. For glass was hard and impenetrable, but also brittle, and steel, though forged and tempered to be free from weakness, did age and corrode with time. There was a time, Sakura realized when she might have thought a room like this empty and cold, a sister in its barrenness to the larger Yukigakure. But now she saw something compelling in its cool reserve. She smiled as she saw how comfortable Kakashi was in this environment. It seemed almost an extension of him.

"I'm guessing you haven't eaten. How about an early lunch?" Kakashi gestured to the table set before them in western style, and removed his hitae-ate and mask before joining her.

"It smells good. What is it?"

"Chicken milanese. It's something like tonkatsu, except with chicken of course, and asparagus marinated in a thick vinegar."

"Asparagus pickles? I love those."

"No, not really. It's not rice vinegar. It's more like a wine syrup."

"No fish? No miso soup?" Sakura lifted the metal covers from each dish as she inspected their lunch.

"We're pretty far from the ocean. The people of snow raise livestock, instead. And it's too cold to grow soybeans here. But these dishes aren't Snow's cuisine. They're from another part of the world."

"What type of rice is this?" Sakura lifted her fork to touch the creamy white risotto piled into a serving dish. "It smells…pungent. A little bit like Naruto's dirty socks, actually." She wrinkled her nose at the comparison. There was no explaining different cultures' dietary choices, it seemed.

"It's flavored with a cheese. Try it."

"Mmm." Sakura took another forkful. "It doesn't taste how it smells, does it?" Sakura noticed a silver ice bucket on the nearby credenza. "Is that sake? Even though it's early, I'd love a cup. Liquid courage, you know?"

Kakashi pulled the large bottle from its icy resting place. "It's champagne. Have you ever tried it?"

Sakura shook her head.

"I think you'll enjoy it, but let's wait for dessert."

Dessert was a small bowl of succulent alpine strawberries, their tiny size belying their intense flavor. Kakashi demonstrated their natural affinity for champagne, dipping one tiny fruit into Sakura's crystal flute of champagne before popping it into her open mouth, and smiling as she eagerly licked his fingers clean of the sticky, red juice that oozed from the berry. They quickly realized that a better venue for this somewhat messy endeavor was bed, and both climbed into a nest made from a hastily piled collection of pillows to continue their feast.

"I think we owe Tsunade a toast. I can't imagine a better place to spend the day, can you?"

"To Tsunade, then. And to you, Sakura."

"To you, Kakashi." Sakura leaned in to kiss him. He quickly removed her empty champagne glass and pressed her back against the stack of pillows. Two glasses of the bubbly beverage proved enough to help her forget her earlier anxieties. She smiled through the slight haze the champagne had induced in her.

"Are you afraid, Sakura?"

"Afraid? Of you? Of course not, Kakashi-kun. Oh. You mean of… you… _deflowering_ me." She rolled her eyes in mockery of the quasi-botanical term. 'Deflowering' a sakura-- how ridiculous. "No. I'm not scared. And I have no reservations, either."

"The thing is, Sakura, I've never actually done… I have no idea how it will feel to you."

"You don't need to apologize, Kakashi. I'm a big girl, and this is my decision. And I know you'd never get pleasure from any pain you caused me."

"Never, Sakura. You know I meant it when I said a long time ago that I'd give my life to protect you."

"I know." Sakura moved her lips to cover his, breaking their kiss only long enough to ask, "There isn't going to be an audience, is there?"

He smiled at her attempt at levity. "Not unless you want one, Sakura." He couldn't resist the comment, but decided the subsequent stinging sensation in his arm was a fair price to pay for its utterance. He rolled Sakura so that she was on her back and he above her, resting most of his body's weight on his forearm. Her lips were stained red with berry juice, he noticed, and already slightly swollen from the pressure of their kisses.

"You are incredibly beautiful, you know." She averted her eyes in embarrassment. "I don't say things I don't mean, Sakura. You know that." She nodded. "And not only do I mean this, but it happens to be a fact. You are easily the most beautiful kunoichi in Konoha, and even more beautiful because you've never let it affect you." He paused to kiss the soft line of her jaw. "Is it okay if I get a better look?" Kakashi unzipped the shirt covering her unbound breasts, and took each of them into his mouth, in turn. He delighted in their supple firmness, in their youthful elasticity. Sakura was by no means flat-chested, but her breasts had no need yet for a supporting undergarment. Kakashi tugged against the pink buds that rose from the apex of each breast, feeling a frisson of delight at their ready response to his touch. He ran his tongue around the pale pink halo that delimited the erectile tissue of her breast, then rolled her nipple gently between his teeth. Her soft moan of pleasure was reward enough for him.

"Do you like this Sakura?" He felt her nod. "Tell me if you want me to stop." He tugged at her nipple again, noticing how her breathing quickened, then flicked his tongue rapidly across the hardened tissue. He allowed his tongue to caress the ridges her ribs made against her flesh and the line that separated them from the softer tissue of her abdomen. He worked his way lower across the contours of her geography, pausing momentarily to nudge aside her legs, then lowering his head to inhale the sultry fragrance of her most feminine landmark. She was shocked, he realized, when she felt his tongue delve between her folds, but she recovered nicely, he thought, giving in quite quickly to his persistent caresses. Soon she was wetter than she'd been that morning, or the night before, and as he lifted his head, she leaned down to pull him up against her.

"Make love to me, Kakashi." She claimed his passion-soaked lips with her own, and did not recoil when she tasted herself. He fumbled in the drawer beside the bed, in search of one of the many purchases he'd made the day before.

"I'm protected, Kakashi. We all are. Tsunade's orders."

"No need for these then," he said, tossing a small box across the room. He kissed her again, slowly, languidly, and then pressed into her gently, then firmly, quickly, making short work of the last vestige of her virginity. He felt her body stiffen as he did so, but only for a second or two. He didn't move, not wanting to add to her discomfort in increasing his own pleasure.

He regarded her face. There were no tears to kiss away (though Jiraiya had alluded to this each and every time his hero seduced a virgin) and no obvious signs of discomfort.

"I'm fine, Kakashi," Sakura said in response to his unasked question. "It was nothing like what I expected. Can we continue?"

Kakashi chuckled at his lover's matter-of-fact attitude, and wondered, not for the first time, at his luck in winning some karmic lottery. Did he really deserve someone as beautiful, as passionate and caring as his Sakura? Even if he didn't he knew he'd never give her up willingly.

He began to move inside of her, slowly at first, groaning a bit as she also moved against him. She instinctively knew how to please him, he thought, as he felt her walls tighten and relax rhythmically against his length. He stopped moving, to better feel her internal caresses, and hissed in anticipation as she wrapped her legs around him to allow more of him inside of her. He began to move again, more quickly this time, pushing more deeply into him as she urged him to do so with her own upward thrusts.

"You are quite the lover, Sakura. Do you have any idea what you are doing to me?"

"Tell me."

"Keep it up and I won't need to. You'll know."

"Tell me anyway."

"You make me want to lose myself in you."

"Then lose yourself."

"I can't." She looked at him, puzzled.

"Why not?"

"Because I'm not finished with you yet."

"No?"

"No. I want you to come for me, Sakura. Again and again."

"I don't think that will be a problem, Kakashi-kun. I think—"

He felt her begin to spasm around his length, and did his best to control his own growing need to orgasm.

"Please, Kakashi. Deeper." He obliged, and felt her reach a new peak, then fall, only to rise again in a new, taller peak of pleasure. He timed his thrusts to match the waves of passion crashing around him, and was rewarded for his efforts with a throaty scream of delight.

"Kakashi. Please Kakashi. Come for me."

"No, not yet." But he did allow himself to move more quickly within her, pulling back to unsheath himself fully before plunging in again into her wet, slick warmth.

"Say my name, Sakura. Say you need me."

"Ka. Ka. Shi. Ka! Ka! Shi! Kakashi! Please. I need you. I want—you-- Come, Kakashi. Come."

Again, he obliged her, feeling the waves of her passion growing in amplitude. She screamed in a final release as he spurted into her, milking him as she contracted violently against him.

He came back to himself quickly—he always did. It was hard to stray far from his ingrained shinobi habits of self discipline and self awareness. She came back to herself more slowly. Kakashi stroked her hair as he regarded her. He'd known she was passionate—she'd always worn her emotions openly. But she'd surprised him with the strength of her passion and with the ease with which she'd reached climax. He couldn't imagine anyone more suited to him.

Kakashi grasped her waist, rolling the two of them easily so that she lay prone on him, and still around him.

"Kakashi, was that—okay?" He chuckled at her words. "Why are you laughing?" She struggled to remove herself from him, put once again felt herself pinned in place.

"I'm laughing because it should be obvious to you that that was more than okay, Sakura." He smiled at her before kissing her gently. "It was… incredible."

"Oh. Good." Sakura laid her head against Kakashi's chest, snuggling against him. "What do you want to do now?"

"I told you this was going to be an all day thing. Didn't you listen?" He grasped her hips, grinding her against him. She felt him stir within her.

"But…?"

"Hmm?"

"How can…? Isn't there…?"

"Why are you stammering, Sakura?"

The kunoichi's face flushed as she searched for the right words. "Kakashi, isn't there supposed to be a refractory period?"

"Refractory period? What on earth are you talking about?" He guided her into a rhythm as he spoke. "That's medical jargon, isn't it? Speak in simple words I can understand."

"Because you're a simple man?" Sakura snorted. "Hardly." She ran her hands across Kakashi's chest as she continued. "What I mean is… Isn't there supposed to be some sort of delay between…um… one sex act and another? Didn't you already…come? I mean, you're not seventeen, and everything I've read suggests that libido decreases linearly with age and…"

"You intellectualize when you're nervous."

"Yes, but that doesn't change the fact that—"

"Sakura, were the papers you read written by shinobi?"

"No, I think they were civilian-authored." She was moving against him now without his help, clearly enjoying the feeling of him inside of her.

"Do you remember how I stressed the importance of chakra control?"

"Sure. The whole tree climbing thing. I think you said my chakra control rivaled yours."

"It surpassed it, actually. But what I didn't say then is that there are other uses for chakra control."

"Oh?" She blushed as she grasped the meaning of his words, and froze against him. "Oh. You are such a… hentai. Is that what you were thinking about when you were training a bunch of twelve year olds?"

"I was reading _Icha, Icha, Paradisu_, Sakura. What do you _think_ I was thinking about? But you'll notice I never shared those thoughts—or the books—with you three. That wouldn't have been appropriate."

"Hmm. Well, I guess that explains the rumors, then." The stories about Hatake Kakashi, the unstoppable sex machine, had some basis in reality.

"You know, Sakura, sometimes rumors are just that." She looked at him questioningly. "I won't deny that I've had my share of physical encounters. But the thing is, that's all they were-- release. I never once felt the need to exercise 'chakra control,' and I never wanted an 'all day' thing until I fell in love with you."

"I should feel honored, then."

"Well, of course you should feel honored. You're with me, after all."

"Riiight." Sakura rolled her eyes. The man was insufferable at times, but she could no longer imagine life without him. "So it's my turn, right? I get to make you come?"

"Sure. And then if you like, we can talk about applied chakra control."

"Will this be a lab class, sensei, and will there be a practical?"

"Will my answer affect how hard you work?"

"No. You know I give everything my all."

"Like now. I can tell. Anything to get that 'A'."


	31. Applied Chakra Control 8th date pt 2

_Disclaimer: Naruto and associated characters are property of Masashi Kishimoto. They are not my property!_

**Fourteen Dates **

_Author's note: More lemony Kakasaku goodness herein. The plot is not advanced in this chapter (although hopefully their relationship shows some development)—so you can safely skip this if you are easily offended. However, if you _are_ easily offended, you probably shouldn't be reading this or other Kakasaku fics. Hope this chapter amuses and entertains. I have to say that the Catholic schoolgirl in me (whom I tried to banish a long, long time ago— successfully, I thought-- she rarely rears her head these days) is NOT pleased. I have such a hard time writing this type of material. I hope it's not too dirty—but several readers asked for more details, so…here you go. This is DEFINITELY not appropriate for those under age 18. You've been warned._

**Chapter 31– Applied Chakra Control– Eighth Date, Part Two**

"Where do you think you're going?" A strong arm snaked around Sakura's waist and pulled her closer to the copy ninja.

"I just need to stretch my legs."

"No."

"No?" Sakura looked at Kakashi in surprise. "Since when do you dictate my comings and goings?"

"You're stuck with me for the day, hana. I said this was going to be an all-day thing, and I seem to remember you agreeing to it."

"I'm stuck with you, here in the _bed_? What if I need to use the bathroom?"

"Do you need to use the bathroom?"

"Well, no, but what if I did?"

"You don't. So stay in bed. I'll be happy to stretch your legs for you."

"Pervert." Sakura blushed as she realized the intent of Kakashi's words, and tried to wriggle out of his grasp. She was unsuccessful, as she had expected, but it had still been worth a try. Frustrated, she flopped down next to her lover and glared at him.

"So, I'm your prisoner?"

"My sex slave, to be more specific." Kakashi smiled wickedly at the incredulous look on Sakura's face.

"Really." Her tone was sarcastic, belying the tremor of anxiety she felt upon hearing his words. She should have expected things would get kinky, considering the man's literary diet consisted solely of orange-bound books adorned with the universal symbol for '_banned_.' "And just what does sex slavery involve?"

"Being totally devoted to your partner."

"That doesn't sound so bad." Again, he'd surprised her. "So does that mean that you're my sex slave, too?"

"Of course. I'd do anything for you, Sakura-chan."

"And I'd do anything for you."

"Really?" Kakashi's eyes sparkled as he sat upright. "Come here, then." He knelt on the bed, gesturing for Sakura to do the same. "Kiss me." Sakura knelt before him, and chastely pressed her lips against his, resting her hands on his shoulders as she did so. She was surprised when he broke the kiss, simultaneously removing her hands from their resting place and admonishing her gently. "No hands."

She leaned forward again, spreading her knees a bit to balance on the very springy mattress, and tentatively pressed her lips against Kakashi's. He surprised her again, as he broke the kiss once more. "Now allow the tiniest bit of chakra to leave your lips and enter mine. Stimulate the nerve endings you locate." She raised her eyebrow questioningly, but complied as she kissed him again, feeling the intense heat of Kakashi's unusual blue-white chakra as she did so. Their chakra intermingled like two weather systems, hot and cool moving turbulently against each other. Kakashi's chakra quickly found its targets within Sakura's system; fully lighting up the neurons tasked with transmitting the many sensations that invoke pleasure. This was no ordinary kiss, Sakura realized, deepening the embrace in an effort to feel more of her lover and his white-hot chakra.

"Did you like that?" Kakashi pulled away from her for a moment and savored her expression.

"Yes," she said, her voice breathless with astonishment. "I never realized chakra could be used in that way. No wonder you have a reputation as a ladies' man. One kiss like that and a person would be ruined for anyone else."

Kakashi grinned wolfishly at the compliment. "So _you're_ ruined for anyone else?" Sakura nodded. "Good. That suits my purposes perfectly." He pulled her close to him, and ran his lips along her neck, sending tiny currents of chakra into her flesh. "But you should know something, Sakura. I've never kissed anyone else like this before."

"No?"

"I've never really dated kunoichi—too many problems result when you mix work and pleasure. Well, to be honest, I've never really dated, at all. One night stands were more my thing, and civilians are a better bet where that's concerned. Civilians typically aren't aware of chakra, so one wouldn't even feel a kiss like that. Besides, it would have been much more intimate than I would have been comfortable with."

"Isn't sex itself intimate for you?"

"With you it is. But no, it doesn't have to be. Before you, it was always just about release for me."

"That's what Ino always said it was for her. I don't really understand." She snuggled against the copy ninja. "So, how did you learn how to kiss like that?"

"Jiraiya loaned me several scrolls. He said he'd obtained them in the course of research for one of his books, but decided they'd detract from the plot—a large portion of his audience is civilian, and they wouldn't understand chakra, let alone applied chakra control. And even most shinobi never reach the level of expertise needed to do what we just did. Jiraiya thought it would seem a bit far-fetched, even to them."

"What was in the other scrolls?"

"You'll see." Kakashi winked.

"Oh. There's more? I never stopped to think that chakra could be used for more than fighting and healing. Trust someone like Jiraiya to discover the sexual aspect. And you to take full advantage. I'm not sure—" she blushed.

"You're not sure of what?"

"I'm not sure I'll be able to heal a patient without thinking of this."

"Well, that's a good thing. You should be thinking of me 24-7, after all."

"Kakashi! Sugoi wagamama!" Sakura unthinkingly slammed her fist against his upper arm, and felt his humerus crack under the poorly restrained force of the blow.

"Gomen nasai! Kakashi, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to—"

Kakashi clutched his arm to his side and grimaced with pain. "You really need to restrain your temper, Sakura. Kuso, that hurt."

"Lie back, Kakashi, and let me look at it." She gingerly ran her hands over his arm, and winced as she felt the damage she'd done. "I'll need to set it. Are you ready? On the count of five." She positioned her hands at either side of the break, and counted slowly. "One…two…three—"

"A! Shit, Sakura! You said 'five,' not 'three'!"

Sakura smiled apologetically. Setting a bone was never a pretty business. She was surprised though, that her simple tactic had worked on him. "That should be the worst of it, pain-wise. Luckily, it was a clean break. It won't take much to mend it." She infused her cool, healing chakra into Kakashi's arm, and noticed his expression change immediately, as the pain ebbed in intensity. "I can't tell you how sorry I am, Kakashi."

He had never seen her look so sheepish before. "I guess I'm lucky you put so little chakra into it. I might be missing my arm altogether, otherwise. I think it would be hard to explain to Tsunade that my lover inadvertently ended my career."

"Tsunade! I hadn't thought of her. What do you think she'll say when she finds out about us?"

It was Kakashi's turn to look sheepish. "Actually, she already knows. I told her how I felt about you before we left on this vacation."

"You did?" Sakura's voice raised. "Before you told me?"

"Easy, now. I can't afford any more broken bones. In fact, I'm wondering about the advisability of letting you near any of my appendages."

She rolled her eyes. "Hentai. Is sex all you ever think about?"

"Around you, yes. Around you when you're _naked_, most definitely yes-- 100 percent of the time. In general, though, it's more like 80, 90 percent of the time. Not when I'm actually fighting, of course."

Sakura barely heard him. "So what did she say?" Sakura imagined the look on Tsunade's face upon hearing the news.

"Actually, she guessed. She threatened me, of course, but what else would you expect from her? You're like a daughter to her."

"She wasn't angry?"

"No, just surprised. I don't think she thought I was capable of that kind of feeling, given the image I've worked so hard to establish and maintain."

"What do you think people will say when we get back to Konoha?"

"That I'm a cradle-robber, most likely. That I'm a Svengali—that I've hypnotized you with the Sharingan and stolen away your free will. That this has been going on since you were twelve."

"I don't think they'll say that."

"You don't?"

"No. Our friends will be happy for us. And I really don't give a damn what anyone else thinks. Life is too short and mean not to grab at a chance for happiness wherever we find it. I think every shinobi believes that, deep down. As for the civilians, they really don't approve of our kind anyway, do they?"

"There's definitely a divide between us. There's respect, but also fear once they learn what our lives are really like, and a sense of loathing, too, I think. Our lives are drenched in blood, and they recognize that, and both appreciate and resent that it is done on their account."

"Well, if you can't win, fuck 'em, right?"

"I really can't imagine life without you, Sakura." Kakashi laughed at her relentless optimism, then sighed. "You're sure it won't bother you to hear people talking about us behind your back, calling me a pedophile and you a poor, deluded victim?"

"_We_ know the truth, Kakashi. Isn't that enough?"

"I love you, Sakura."

"How's the arm?" She removed her hands from the site of the break, which had healed nicely, she thought.

He flexed his bicep and smiled. "Perfect. It's stronger at the site of the break, isn't it?"

"Yes. The tissue is a bit more dense there."

"Maybe you should break the other one, too."

"I didn't realize you were a masochist, Kakashi."

"Just joking, Sakura. I'm not going to let you live this down, you know."

"I know, I know. So, what would you like your sex slave to do for you?"

"I'll leave that up to you, Sakura-chan."

"I think I'll just explore, then. Will you tell me if you like what I'm doing?"

"Somehow, I think you'll know."

She touched her lips lightly to his, then brushed them gently over the hollow of his cheek, and along the long scar that bisected his eyelid.

"When I first saw your Sharingan, I was so surprised. I had thought you must be blind in that eye—why else would you keep it covered?" She traced her finger along the long scar that might have disfigured another face, but which seemed oddly appropriate—even attractive-- on the face of the copy ninja.

"Did it scare you?"

"Yes, actually. I'd never seen a Sharingan before and the fact that it was blood-red, and turned like a pinwheel was a bit frightening. Then I saw what you could do with it, and I was less scared, because it belonged to you, a person I completely trusted, not Zabuza or another enemy nin." She gently kissed the scar, and Kakashi's closed eye. "It doesn't scare me anymore though. In fact, I find it quite attractive. It suits you."

Kakashi smiled. "Smitten, are we?" 

Sakura giggled. "Absolutely."

"That makes two of us."

Sakura moved her attentions to the elite jounin's neck, seeking and finding the erogenous zone at the nape of his neck. He shuddered in response, moving his neck slightly to provide her better access. "You like that, don't you?" she breathed in his ear, pausing to nip at its lobe and at the tender area behind the pinna. She ran the tip of her tongue along the curve of his neck, and lower still, along his collarbone, eliciting yet another shudder of delight from her partner.

She touched just the tip her tongue to his flat areolae and sprinklings of surrounding hair, then allowed her breath alone to caress him. She focused, then, on the multitude of scars that crisscrossed Kakashi's chest and abdomen, pausing to kiss each in turn. "There's a reason why you keep these, isn't there?" A medic like Sakura could make short work of these imperfections, but obviously Kakashi sought to be reminded of the battle each scar represented. "Will you tell me the story behind each one, some time?"

Kakashi opened his eyes to regard the beautiful kunoichi before him. He nodded.

"I recognize this one, of course." She ran her fingers across the long, puckered scar than ran diagonally across Kakashi's chest. "I thought the kubikiri houcho would be the end of you—I was terrified that we would lose you. I learned a lot about strategy that day, although it probably didn't seem like it, considering the meltdown I was having over Sasuke."

"You were certainly a handful, Sakura. I wondered so many times why you were even bothering with training. All you thought about was Sasuke."

"I wasn't myself. I guess puberty does that to a person."

Kakashi smiled as he pulled Sakura on top of him. "So, which scar would you like to know about?"

"This one, I think." She touched the Sharingan scar again. "It's the most mysterious. I think I know part of the story, though, from looking at your medical records. But I'd like to hear it from you."

"Hmm. You wouldn't have liked me as a teenager, Sakura. I was an even bigger jerk than Sasuke. A total prick, really. I treated my teammates like dirt. I had something to prove and they were in the way. Obito--who turned out to be my best friend, although I didn't realize it until it was too late-- Obito drove me crazy, as much as Naruto drove Sasuke crazy. He was a crybaby, he was always late and full of excuses. I always did things by the book—he and his habits were completely alien to me."

Sakura laughed incredulously. "You're kidding, right? _You_ had a problem with _him_ being late?"

"I wasn't myself. Not the person you know, anyway. Not the person I became." Kakashi was silent for a minute, as he reflected on the difference between the boy of twenty-odd years ago and the present man. "I had just been promoted to jounin, and I was full of myself—Yondaime, our sensei, had just given control of the team to me, and I was eager to take command and show his trust in me was not misplaced. Then our teammate was kidnapped and I ordered that we not follow her—we needed to put the mission first. Doing things exactly by the book was everything to me back then."

"Wow. You really had a stick up your butt, didn't you?"

"You could say that. Obito thought so, too. He told me that people who abandoned their teammates were worse than trash, and left to find Rin. I realized he was right, after a while, and pursued him. Rin was being held hostage. My face was slashed by an enemy kunai, and I lost my eye. Then Obito saved me from a landslide by pushing me out of the way and was half-crushed in the process. His dying wish was that I have his eye. He was an Uchiha, as you might have guessed. Rin was a medic, like you. She did the transplant."

"I think I would have liked you, Kakashi, if I'd met you when I was twelve or thirteen. Even if you were a prick." She laughed. "Probably more so, because of it. Your former self seems an awful lot like Sasuke. I probably would have followed you like a puppy dog, and gotten worse with each rejection." She rolled her eyes at the memory of her outsized and misplaced devotion to Sasuke.

"And I would have treated you like shit. I'm sure of that. The dynamics of our team were eerily similar to those of team seven. Obito loved Rin, but she was stuck on me. I completely ignored her—I had no time for silly things like crushes."

"Rin died young, didn't she? I've only seen that name a few times in the medical records."

"Yes, not long after Yondaime. They were all taken in quick succession."

"You lost your whole team. They're the ones you remember at the memorial stone."

"Yes. I've never understood why I survived them. Any of them was by far a better person than I am." She saw the pain in his eyes, and caught his face in her hands as he tried to turn away.

"I can't agree with that, Kakashi, even though I never met them. You just don't see the person you are, do you?"

Her openness, her earnestness would surely be his undoing, he thought. Not since he was a child had he been this transparent with anyone. But with Sakura, the words came flowing out, unrestrained and unprompted. "I see something in the way you look at me, Sakura, that makes me think there's something worthwhile about me."

"Who gets to live, and who gets to die doesn't make sense, and it never will. But we don't need to make sense of it, Kakashi. It's enough just to be here, together, isn't it?"

He sighed. "Yes. I think it is. It's more than I ever could have asked for." He pulled her closer and crushed his lips against her. "You are so good for me, Sakura."

"Lie down. I'm not done with you yet." Her lopsided, yet somehow sultry smile disarmed him.

"Hai. You're not going to hurt me again, are you?"

"Do you want me to? Forget I asked that, Kakashi-- I really don't want to know. Just lie back and enjoy. No broken bones, I promise." She straddled him, and looked up and down his trim, muscled form. "Now, where was I?"

"You were in the middle of driving me crazy."

She ran her fingers lightly along his tight, defined abdominals. "Who would guess that under those sloppy, oversized clothes is an absolute god?" She lowered her head to kiss him again—this time along the line that defined the edge of his ribcage, then moved to the soft skin surrounding his navel. He twitched, clearly stifling a ticklish response, and Sakura snickered. "Your weak spot! The famed copy ninja is ticklish, it seems." She quickly ran her fingernail along his side and was disappointed when there was no response. "You're supposed to be relaxed, Kakashi."

"No tickling, Sakura." His voice was a growl.

"Well, since I'm your slave, I guess I have no choice but to obey."

"Good answer. You're learning fast."

"Don't I always?"

She ran her fingers along his hips, gently brushing her fingers along the indentation separating the muscles of his pelvis from those of his upper thighs. "So handsome," she murmured, almost too softly to hear, and followed the movement of her fingers with her parted lips. She reached his erect member, touching it gently, reveling again in its surprising feel, then gently ran her tongue along his length. A groan was her indication that her touch was appreciated. Emboldened, she continued her exploration. The tip, she knew, was most sensitive, but she also knew that anticipation would make the sensations she elicited that much more sweet to both of them. She allowed her fingers to caress him, watching interestedly as her touch caused him to swell, then slowly took him into her mouth. She heard his breath catch in his throat at this action, and Sakura smiled inwardly at her power over the seemingly invincible technical specialist. She allowed her tongue to flicker over his member's most sensitive part, then took him deeper into her mouth, noting with pleasure his response to this simple movement. She mimicked the rhythm she'd encountered twice before, stopping every now and then to caress him with her tongue. She looked up to see an expression of complete bliss on Kakashi's face. His eyes opened as she gazed at him.

"You're a goddess, Sakura. How did you learn to do this?"

"Improvisation, Kakashi. And a bit of inspiration, I guess. Suki da yo."

"Shinu hodo suki."

"Don't say that! I want us to be together for a long, long time."

"Nothing will come between us, Sakura. I promise." He reached down to gather her into his arms, but she resisted.

"No hands, Kakashi, remember? Besides, I'm still not finished."

"You don't have to, Sakura."

"I want to. Lie back down, and let me show you how I feel."

Kakashi smiled as he complied, gasping again as Sakura took him into her mouth, more deeply than before, quickly bringing him to his breaking point. He held back as long as he could, savoring every oral caress, but finally he reached the point of complete bliss, losing himself in the feelings she elicited in him. He allowed himself the luxury of savoring the near out-of-body experience, slowly regaining control of his body. Sakura, he noticed, was lying next to him, her fingers playing with a strand of his hair. He seemed to have lost a little bit of time. That was a first for him, he reckoned.

"I like how you taste. It's not quite what I expected."

"You never cease to surprise me, Sakura. Most women—"

"I'm not most women."

"No, you're not." He pulled the beautiful kunoichi closer and marveled that his love for her was requited.

"So, do you want to go for a walk?" Sakura sat up and stretched, only to be pulled back to the bed.

"I told you this was an all-day thing, Sakura." Kakashi's growl was almost menacing.

She sighed. "Oh. Right. I thought we were finished." The man was insatiable, it seemed. Not that it didn't feel good—she certainly wasn't complaining. But his single-mindedness bordered on obsession. Perhaps that was to be expected, though, given the similar degree of focus he placed on the Icha, Icha books. Ultimately, it didn't matter, she supposed.

"Your turn, hana. Slide down to the bottom of the bed." Kakashi left the bed to kneel at its foot, then gently parted his lover's legs.

"No fair! Why are you out of bed?" Sakura sat up and glared at the copy ninja, furious at the double standard he'd imposed.

Kakashi looked at her with the indolent look she knew well, and spoke with a frustratingly calm voice. "I never said you couldn't leave the bed, Sakura. I only said we weren't finished. There are plenty of ways to make love that don't require both partners lying in bed, and I'm planning on showing you some of them. Well, all of them, actually. Now lie back and let me show you how _I_ feel."

He parted her soft, warm lips and ran the tip of his tongue from her wet center to the apex of her sex, allowing his tongue to linger there. He felt her swell under his ministrations, and her thighs tighten around his head. He broke from this intimate embrace to admonish her. "Mind that superhuman strength, darling. It would be a shame if you broke my neck. Think of the explaining you'd have to do. Worse still, think how frustrated you'd be." His words unleashed a torrent of giggles, and he settled back to his task to find her even more responsive than before. He was unrelenting in his caresses and expert in their application. Soon he found she was almost panting. "Come, Sakura," he silently ordered her, and she did, bucking under him and clutching wildly at his hair.

He stopped for a few moments, then pushed her over the edge again and again, with soft, expert caresses.

"Irete, Kakashi. Please," she moaned.

He ignored her pleas for him to make love to her, taunting her instead with slow movement of his lips and tongue against her fully sensitized tissues.

Finally, he joined her in the bed, pulling her up to lie fully among its many pillows. He quickly thrust into her tight wetness, but remained still once he did so.

"Kakashi?"

"You feel as good as you taste, Sakura. Are you ready to learn some more about applied chakra control?"

"I can't imagine it being any better than it already is, but sure. _Sensei._"

Kakashi looked at her with a guarded expression. "Not 'sensei,' Sakura. I don't want to be that to you. 'Senpai,' maybe."

"_Senpai._ Teach me." Her lips found his.

"It's like kissing, Sakura. Focus your chakra to your groin, and allow it to flow into me. I'll do the same. Focus on the nerve endings you find. It should be simple enough for you, considering how skilled you are in this arena."

"You're easily as skilled as I am at chakra control."

"There's nothing wrong with just accepting a compliment every now and then, Sakura. Don't sell yourself short."

Kakashi moved inside of her, and Sakura felt a trickle of the intense energy that was his chakra. It was like stepping into a steaming hot bath, she thought. The heat was so intense that it almost felt cool, the sensation so extreme that it felt as though her body's wiring was overloading. Yet no pain was involved-- it was incredibly, almost unbearably pleasurable. She wasn't sure she'd be able to last more than a minute or two without climaxing, but she resolved to try. She focused her chakra, allowing it to pool at the place where their bodies touched, then tentatively allowed a very small amount of her cool, green energy to flow into him. He groaned in response. She let her chakra wind its way through the tissues of his member, noting the many neurons that ran through that terrain. She allowed fine tendrils of energy to enter each cluster of sensory cells, and felt Kakashi's breath quicken as she did so.

"How does that feel?" She murmured.

Another groan was his only response, as he crushed his lips against hers and met her tongue with his own.

"I want to feel all of you. Deeper, Kakashi. Kudasai." She wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him closer to her.

He complied with her demand, and felt her tighten around him, as her body began to spasm in pleasure.

"Not yet, Sakura. Slow down and regain control. Do your best to make it last. Let the sensation build."

"I don't think I can—"

"Of course you can, Sakura. Use your training. It's mind over matter." His voice was dry as he slipped into teacher mode, easily adjusting his breathing as he lectured her, as though this were a routine lesson.

Sakura calmed her breathing and her pulse, backing away from the brink of the abyss of pleasure where she had teetered precariously. He continued thrusting deeply, however, filling the tissues comprising her sex with the heat of his chakra, and soon she found herself back where she'd been only minutes earlier.

"Iku! Iku!" She plunged into the abyss, taking him with her.

It was like she was falling, drowning in an ocean of pleasure, where wave after wave of intense sensation lapped against her skin, filled her every pore, fully permeated her flesh. This was different than before, because she was acutely aware that she wasn't alone. She felt Kakashi with her, felt his chakra interacting with her own. She felt the turbulence of two such different energies meeting, and the roiling of the waves of pleasure they created. Slowly the waves crested, and built upon each other sympathetically until she screamed in a final release. She was aware of his release, as well, and of his throaty cry of ecstasy. The waves subsided, and she felt his arms around her, his head nestled against her chest.

"Kakashi." Her voice was raw. How long had she been calling his name? "That was… That was…"

"Wow."

"Yeah. Wow."

"Sakura, even if I wasn't deeply in love with you—"

"Yes?" She looked into his eyes, which were filled with mirth.

"Even if I wasn't deeply, madly in love with you, I'd never, never let you go after that."

"I suppose I should be flattered."

"You don't have much to compare it to."

"Yes, I do."

"Kimi wa tottemo taisetsu na hito nan da. I'm never going to let you go, Sakura-chan."

"And I'll never go, Kakashi." She rolled over and hopped out of bed. "Now, can we get something to eat? I'm starving."

Glossary

hana- flower, blossom

kubikiri houcho- the oversize sword carried by Zabuza

"Sugoi wagamama!"- You're so self-centered!

"Suki da yo." I love you (said casually)

"Shinu hodo suki." I love you so much I could die.

"Irete"- literally, "put it in"; do me.

kudasai- please

"Iku"—I'm coming.

"Kimi wa tottemo taisetsu na hito nan da." You're so very precious to me.


	32. Public Displays 9th date part 1

_Disclaimer: Naruto and associated characters are property of Masashi Kishimoto. They are not my property!_

**Fourteen Dates **

_Author's note: I apologize for the almost two-month delay in getting this chapter written and posted. For the past eight weeks I have been working sixty to eighty hours a week, and I have had literally no time for anything other than life's bare necessities. It has been really frustrating to have no time to devote to my family or to this story. I appreciate the several messages I received enquiring about my health (I am still alive!), and I hope you haven't given up on me. The good news is that my schedule from hell is OVER and things will get back to normal now. This story is by no means over—there are five more dates to go. Although I haven't had time to write, I have had time to think, and I do have another Kakasaku story planned. It won't be a sequel, however, and it will be some time before this story is finished. There is still a lot to come._

_Some warnings: This chapter (both parts one and two) is very lemony. The lemons are not gratuitous, however—I am including them for a very good reason (in terms of character development). These will be the last lemons for a few chapters however, as the plot will begin to move along again in the coming chapters._

_Again, thank you for reading. Your reviews mean the world to me (if you hadn't realized that already!)_

**Chapter 32: Public Displays—Ninth Date, part one**

"Well, good morning, sleepy-head." A chipper Kakashi pushed aside the shower curtain to regard the disheveled, groggy kunoichi who had stumbled into the bathroom.

"Is it? I hadn't noticed. You know I'm not a morning person." Eyes half-closed against the unnatural fluorescent glare of the starkly tiled room, Sakura pawed through contents of the flimsy plastic bag that held the few toiletries Kakashi had purchased, and located her toothbrush and paste. She'd feel more human, she knew, once her mouth was clean.

"It seems like you're back to normal, little she-bear." The curtain closed as he went back to his ablutions.

Sakura paused in her tooth brushing, nearly choking on the minty froth that filled her mouth. _She-bear? _He wasn't going to get away with that, Sakura fumed to herself. She quietly filled up a glass of water and threw its contents over the chrome-plated curtain rod and into the shower. A most un-Kakashi-like shriek of surprise was her reward.

"Didn't see that one coming, Sharingan Kakashi?"

"Obviously not, Sakura." He poked his head through the curtains again, and smiled devilishly. "Care to join me?"

"I think not, Kakashi. Tempting as it sounds, you'll probably find some way to punish me."

"True, but that will happen whether you join me or not. The longer you wait, the less pleasant it will be."

"I'll take my chances, I think." Sakura quickly washed her face, then smirked as she noticed the small, gas-powered water heater bolted above the commode. She quickly exited the room, but not before flushing the toilet. A muffled scream was her second reward of the morning.

A fragrant, towel-wrapped Kakashi left the bathroom some thirty minutes later, accompanied by billows of steam that quickly fogged the hotel room's windows. "All yours," was his only comment as he passed Sakura, although he did swat her on the rear.

"I won't be long. I assume we're going somewhere?"

An unintelligible grunt served as affirmation, or perhaps negation of her question. Apparently the copy ninja was still a little ticked off.

"You'd think a hotel this sophisticated would have the shower and toilet on different supply lines." She smiled apologetically at Kakashi's back.

Another grunt was her signal to leave the room.

Sakura absentmindedly opened both taps full bore, stepped into the bath-cum-shower, and screamed. Kakashi had used up all the hot water. _Well, so what?_ she told herself. She'd showered in worse circumstances on many, many occasions. It was clear, though, that mountain streams were the source of this hidden village's water. Sakura's teeth chattered as she quickly lathered up her body and washed her hair. A brisk shower would be good for her, she decided. Her work at the hospital had taken her far from the life she'd led as a genin and chunin. Yes, it was disciplined, focused work, but the fact was, compared to a life in the field it was downright cushy. She needed experiences like this to remind her just what a shinobi's life was all about. _This is a pretty lame punishment,_ Sakura smirked as she rinsed off under the frigid stream of water. She only wished she hadn't cried out minutes earlier.

She turned off the taps and pulled back the curtains, reaching for a towel as she did so. Her fingers touched waterlogged terrycloth. Damn him. What had he done to the towels? There had been a tall, fluffy stack on the glass and chrome stand next to the tub—she'd run her hand over it just minutes earlier. But now they were all completely sodden, every last one. Even the thick cotton bath mat, which Kakashi had laid precisely over the bathtub's lip, was completely soaked. Dripping.

Sakura wrung out her hair and marched into the bedroom, where Kakashi, amazingly, was brushing his own hair. She hadn't thought he did that. He wasn't looking in the mirror, however. Apparently that would have served to bring too much order out of chaos. Instead he leaned lazily against the dresser, smiling at the sight of Sakura's completely naked form, his eyes following the rivulets of water that wandered slowly down her body.

"Give me that," she snapped, reaching her arm out to yank the towel from around his waist.

"I think not, Sakura." In a flash, his hand had encircled her wrist. He pulled her close and grazed her cheek with his own unshaven flesh as he whispered into her ear. "This is my towel, and I'm not quite done with it yet." He smiled as he released her from his grasp. "You can air dry. It's not that cold in here." He shifted his gaze to her breasts and smirked. "Oh. I stand corrected."

"You're just going to stand there and watch me drip dry."

"Ee. Actually, I might as well make myself comfortable." He seated himself on the bed, which, Sakura noticed, was stripped bare—not even a mattress pad remained. She turned and walked to the closet, which she also found was barren. She quickly concluded that only four pieces of fabric remained in the room: the towel adorning Kakashi's waist, the dark mask he held in his hand, the hitae-ate on the dresser and a rather inflexible-looking window covering.

"You really haven't left me many options, have you?" She looked at her lover, who was wearing the expression of a satisfied cat, his eyes half-closed as he gloated. "Let me know when my clothes reappear." She stalked out of the room and into the bathroom, shutting the door firmly behind her.

"You'll miss breakfast."

"Not. Hungry." Not for a naked breakfast, anyway.

Sakura sat on the edge of the bathtub, after throwing the water-soaked bath mat aside. The freezing-cold porcelain brought out goosebumps, but there was no better alternative. The bathroom was built for cleanliness, not comfort—every centimeter was covered in gleaming white ceramic of one form or another. She'd tough it out, though. There was no way she was going to let Kakashi win.

She heard the bed creak as Kakashi flopped upon it. He'd probably whipped out his copy of _Icha, Icha_, his long-time, highly fidelic companion. She hadn't noticed him reading it recently, though. Perhaps real-life was more interesting at the moment. But knowing Kakashi, he'd probably tried to find a way to marry the two. She made a mental note to borrow the book next time he was occupied. She was willing to bet the scene that had just played out had jumped from its pages. Sakura brushed her teeth again and ran her fingers through her still-wet hair, then frowned at the less than satisfactory results. Their only brush was in the room with Kakashi. Sakura sighed. There was absolutely nothing else she could think of to occupy her in this self-imposed prison.

No sound emanated from the bedroom—it was as though she were alone in the small suite. He wouldn't have left, though. He knew her patience was limited—very limited, and probably guessed she'd come bursting out, yelling at him, any minute. _Wrong_, she told herself. She'd stay in here until she figured out her next move. This battle was not over yet, by any means. In the quiet, Sakura heard the distant chiming of the elevator, then the smallest clinking of dinnerware. Breakfast! Her stomach growled, despite her earlier denial of hunger. After scores of missions together, Kakashi surely must remember she was voracious in the morning. He'd probably find a way to taunt her with the meal.

She almost laughed aloud at the serendipitous possibility that presented herself, then took a deep breath as she readied herself to pay her lover back. This went against her nature, but truly, he deserved it. She timed her next move precisely and professionally, as perfectly as she'd ever done on a job.

"Kakashi-kun," she called sweetly, as she opened the door to the bathroom and bounded into the room, "Do you have a razor? I thought I'd shave my legs."

Three eyes looked up at her, and the same three eyes widened in shock. The cool grey eye of the copy ninja quickly readjusted itself into its usual look of jaded apathy, while the room's two new eyes grew wider still as they took in the kunoichi's exquisite, naked flesh. A jaw dropped then, and several utensils, as the busboy who'd delivered the large, western-style breakfast froze on the spot. A small line of deep red trickled from his nose.

Sakura suppressed a smile as she saw Kakashi's jawline tighten perceptibly under his mask. She strolled over to the mattress and arranged herself on it, then reached across to the bureau to pick up the comb, and languidly untangled her short, thick tresses.

"I think you're done here," Kakashi growled at the busboy, whose head had turned to follow Sakura's slow journey across the room and whose eyes now rested on her two, small, yet perfect forward assets. Kakashi's voice was quiet, with just the slightest tone of menace to it. "And you've already had your tip." He pushed the livery-clad young man toward the door.

"Wait!" Sakura called out from her perch on the stripped mattress. "Do you think you could bring me some towels and linens? Ours seemed to have disappeared." She stifled a giggle and struggled to keep her composure.

The busboy was at a loss for words, but bobbed his head vigorously as Kakashi shoved him out of the room, and drove the door's bolt home.

She rose from the bed to better assess the situation. The copy ninja's voice was a barely audible drawl as he moved towards her.

"You, sweet cherry blossom, are a very naughty girl." Mask and towel were quickly discarded as he pushed her forcefully against the rough fabric of the covered windows. "A very, very naughty girl." His voice rasped in her ear as he plundered the soft flesh of her neck, his still-unshaven skin scraping against her skin. "How am I going to punish you?"

"You always said that a prime rule of our art is to surprise your adversary. I surprised you, didn't I?" A slight tremor in her voice belied the anxiety that coursed through her body.

He ignored her. "Maybe I should lay you over my knee and warm your gorgeous bottom. You've never been spanked, have you? I'm sure you were terribly spoiled, being an only child and all." He cupped her posterior with both hands, gently kneading her flesh.

"You wouldn't." She wriggled futilely in his grasp, then looked up to see him smiling amusedly.

"You're right. I'd never hurt you, Sakura." His eyes gleamed in arousal. "But I am going to punish you."

"How?"

"Oh. You'll see."

"Right now?"

"You'll see." He led her to the unclothed bed and pushed her against it, laughing as she involuntarily bounced against the firm mattress. He joined her, taking full control of the situation, pushing her arms away as she reached to encircle him. "No, Sakura," he said softly, "I'm in charge now. Lie back."

"This is punishment?" A giggle escaped her lips as she settled herself against the pillows, closing her eyes to better focus on the sensations her lover produced in her.

"Did I say that?" was his only response. His lips quickly busied themselves in teasing her flesh, first bruising her lips with forceful, raw kisses, then tracing a path along the sensitive skin of her neck and collarbones.

"You don't know what you do to me, Kakashi."

"I think I do, Sakura." His voice was rough with desire. "And that's the problem. I don't want anyone else to do this to you, Sakura." His teeth grazed her shoulder, then gently pressed against her flesh. He ran his fingers along the subtle welt they left. "You're mine, Sakura. All mine. _Only_ mine."

She squirmed against him. "You can't possess someone, Kakashi. I'm not a tool or a… toy."

"You know I'm right, Sakura."

"You don't own me, Kakashi!"

"That doesn't change the fact that you're mine, Sakura. And I won't share you. I don't even want anyone looking at you. Not when you're naked, anyway." He turned her face toward his and looked into her eyes. "You understand, don't you?"

Her viridian eyes sparkled in fury. "I'm not some inflatable doll you keep at the back of your closet!"

"You were looking in my closet?"

"Um… no, actually." A blush crept to her cheeks. What else did she not know about this man?

"Just kidding, Sakura."

"Oh." She blushed still more deeply.

"It's easy to embarrass you. You know, you completely surprised me walking out the way you did. I never thought you'd do something like that."

"I know. That's why I did it. And it worked, didn't it?"

"So, _are_ you an exhibitionist?" Kakashi trailed his lips across the upper curve of her breast, and smiled as he noted her blush move southward from her cheeks to cover her neck and chest.

"Would you like it if I were?"

He pretended to think for a moment, lifting his head to catch her eyes. "Immensely, Sakura."

"Too bad. That was a one-time thing, Kakashi. I have no desire to show anyone but you my body."

"Good."

"Good? You just said you'd like it if I were."

"Yes, but selfish desire wins out over idle titillation every time." He flickered his tongue over her nipple and sucked gently on the flesh.

"You're not going to bite me again, are you?"

"Should I?"

"If I say 'no,' you probably will. And if I say, 'yes,' you probably— "Her nervous chatter was cut short with a gasp of pleasure as he gently pulled on the nerve-laden tissue.

"I think you like it when I bite, Sakura," he growled, as he moved his attention elsewhere. "Let me taste you, Sakura," were his last words for quite some time, and Sakura readily complied with his request.

"Kakashi, that's so…" The kunoichi spoke breathlessly as Kakashi brought her to the brink of climax. "Please. Make me--"

Kakashi lifted his head and spoke softly. "No, Sakura." He moved up to kiss her, allowing her to taste herself upon him, and stroked her gently with his free hand, savoring the feel of her moistness against his fingertips.

"No?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Why do you think?" His nimble fingers brought her close again, then pulled back.

"This is my punishment?"

He smiled gleefully.

"I hate you." She clamped her legs shut, in an attempt to crush his hand.

"No, you don't. In fact, I'm pretty sure you love me. You've said it a few times, anyway." He spread her legs apart with his thigh and rubbed his maleness against her waiting flesh. "Do you like this, Sakura?"

She groaned in frustration. "Isn't it obvious, Kakashi?"

He barely entered her, pulling back as he felt her incipient release.

"Why are you tormenting me?"

"Isn't it obvious, Sakura?"

"What do you want me to do?"

"Say it."

"I love you?"

He chuckled. "No." His face turned gentle for a moment. "I already know that."

"Then what?" He was bringing her to the edge again, and she writhed under him, attempting to draw him closer to her.

"It will come to you, I think." He smiled at the look of wildness on his lover's face.

"Fuck me, Kakashi."

"No, that's not it."

"Please. I need you." Her voice held the slightest hint of a whine.

"No, that's not it either."

"Then _what_? _What_, Kakashi?"

"Say you belong to me."

"Kakashi—"

"Say it, Sakura. Say you're mine."

"I'm yours, Kakashi."

"Louder, Sakura." He thrust into her, causing her to spasm with pleasure.

"I'm yours, Kakashi. I belong to you. Please, Kakashi!"

He slammed against her as she lifted her body toward his, wrapping her legs around him to draw him more deeply inside of her. She screamed in pleasure as he quickly brought her to climax, and moaned with desire when he stopped to let her catch her breath.

"More, Sakura?" he asked softly as her heart rate slowed.

"Kudasai."

"Well?" A smile flickered across his lips.

"I'm yours, Kakashi. Always."

"Good, Sakura."

…o…o…o…o…o

"So, hungry?"

"Ravenous." Sakura rose from the bed and approached the abandoned metal cart that held their meal. She lifted a chrome plated cover from a dish and turned up her nose. "Yuck. It's congealed." She held a slice of bacon up and nibbled on it tentatively. "Still tastes good, though." She moved the plates of eggs, toast and bacon to the room's small table, and picked up the odd implements that accompanied the meal. "These look like surgical tools, don't you think? Where are the hashi?"

"This is a western-style breakfast. This hotel is known for its cuisine—I thought we'd be adventurous."

"Hmm." Sakura returned the plate's metal covers to the cart, and noticed the small, leather portfolio that lay next to a carafe of orange juice. Embossed on its cover was a very familiar-looking kamon—a triangle containing a highly stylized dragon. She held up the folder. "Kakashi, do you recognize this? I know I've seen it before."

The shinobi looked up from his breakfast, which he apparently found quite appealing, solidified fat and all. "It's the crest of the daimyo that owns this place, Sankaku Eki. He owns about a third of snow, as well. It's kind of strange for a feudal lord to own a piece of a hidden village, but his clan is exceptionally powerful. Didn't you notice the logo when we walked into the hotel? It covers almost every surface. He's not one for subtlety."

That must have been where she'd seen it. Somehow, though, the kamon unsettled her. The dragon was not particularly menacing-looking—in fact, it was well-drawn and quite aesthetically pleasing. But something about it was unsavory.

"So, what are the plans for today? When are we going back to Fire?"

"I thought you might like to see the village. I'd like to see how well you hold up to some light walking before heading back."

"Would you mind if we did a little shopping? I'm really tired of having only a single pair of underpants to wear, and I need a bra. Where are my clothes, anyway?"

"Under the bed. You really need to brush up on your skills, Sakura."

Sakura retrieved her garments, affording Kakashi a very pleasant view of her posterior. "Do you know where my medical scrolls are? I probably shouldn't leave them here, considering that they're contraband."

"Grab my clothes, will you? The scrolls are in my vest. Memorize them now. We'll destroy them before we leave the room."

Sakura quickly retrieved the jounin's attired, then dressed and sat on the bed, unrolling a scroll as she did so. She read aloud softly, smiling at the many procedural details Snow's head medic had written.

"Toss me one." Sakura obliged, but frowned, puzzled, as Kakashi pulled up his hitae ate and scanned the scroll.

"Why are you memorizing it?"

"Fairly standard practice. I assume these are important—Junko wouldn't have risked her career otherwise—so it makes sense for both of us to commit these to memory."

"You've already memorized that one, haven't you?"

"Mmm. You're no slouch yourself, Sakura, and yours is a natural talent."

"I can only memorize what I hear, and it takes me several passes. I'm done with this one, though." She tossed it to her former sensei and got to work on a third scroll.

A small pile of ash was added to the remains of the breakfast, and the two Konoha ninjas walked down a thickly carpeted hall to the waiting elevator. The crest, Sakura saw, was indeed everywhere—woven into the carpet, carved into the mahogany walls of the elevator, and worked into the mosaic patterned floors of the hotel's grand foyer. It must have cost Sankaku a small fortune to have such custom work done.

"We're in the heart of the commercial district. There's a department store not far from here, if memory serves." They quickly found the building and were greeted immediately by a number of saleswoman and an overenthusiastic perfume sprayer, whom they successfully dodged. Sakura abandoned Kakashi, and made a beeline for the clothing section, but was disappointed in the selection that awaited her. The colors were drab, the necklines too high, and the fabric unforgiving. A bit of stretch was needed in a kunoichi's outfit, and these garments failed miserably in that regard. What was the point in a dress that grazed the ankles, anyway? Maybe she was in the matron's section. These clothes were completely unsuitable for someone her age. And where was the lingerie section of the store? Sakura looked around for a salesgirl, and saw instead Kakashi grinning (at least that was what his eye indicated) from across the sales floor. He was bundled, Sakura saw, with a small mountain of clothes, which he dumped atop a nearby table.

Sakura pawed through the proffered items and scoffed. "I am not wearing this." The dress she held up would expose almost no skin, and was quite heavy as a result of the many folds of figure-obscuring fabric that fell from its shoulders.

"Why not? It solves your problem of having nothing else to wear, and my problem of people looking at you."

"You're joking, right?" His smile reassured her.

"You did notice that people dress a bit more conservatively here, didn't you?"

"Yes, but all I've seen are middle-aged women. I thought they were just acting their age. Where are the young girls, anyway?"

"Inside, I'd guess. They still do arranged marriages here, Sakura."

"But the women work, don't they? There were women in the hospital…"

"Did you notice that the only female medic was Junko? The rest were nurses."

"Oh." She hadn't noticed that there were no male nurses. "Right. So how did Junko…?"

"Things were different when she was young. Snow embraced technology and everything else associated with modernity. Then something changed—there was a backlash led by the daimyos, and the culture reverted to what people remembered as the good old days. They kept the technology, though, as you can see. They're still the world leader in that, and wealthier, per capita, than any other country."

"Thanks for the lecture, sensei. Am I going to be arrested because my skirt is too short?"

"As far as I know, there's no legal code concerning clothing. Yesterday, I noticed a few women dressed more…"

"Attractively?" The man had a wandering eye. Just great.

"_Modernly_."

"So where do _they_ shop?"

"How would I know?"

"Help me find a salesperson." She grabbed Kakashi's arm and began to wander the seemingly deserted clothing section of the store.

"How about this?" Kakashi pulled a brightly colored skirt from a nearby rack. "It's short. It's flirty. It just screams, 'Sakura,' don't you think?"

"That's a child's skirt, Kakashi." She looked at the tag. "This would fit a four year old."

Kakashi rolled his visible eye. "Some of your clothing is at least that small, Sakura."

"You're not helping, Kakashi."

"How about this?" He held up a pair of child's bunny pajamas. "There's this fantasy I have—"

"Go away. Don't you have some errands to run, or something?"

"Well, actually, I do. Shall we meet in an hour?"

"Sure. How about in the park across the street?"

"Ee." He disappeared in a flash of smoke, surprising the friendly-looking saleswoman approaching Sakura. The woman smiled conspiratorily as Sakura presented her with her problem. She pulled out a pad of paper and scribbled an address, then pressed it into Sakura's palm.


	33. Public Displays—9th Date, part 2

_Disclaimer: Naruto and associated characters are property of Masashi Kishimoto. They are not my property!_

**Fourteen Dates **

_Author's note: Now that I'm back to a more reasonable schedule I should be able to update more frequently. (It's only been nine days since I last updated—as opposed to the forty-plus it took for me to post the last chapter.) As I mentioned in the last installment, this chapter has the last lemon for at least a few chapters, as the plot will be kicking into gear again, so enjoy! It takes me a while to write these citrusy chapters (as I end up revising them quite a bit until they fit my comfort level), so the good news is that the coming lemon-free chapters should be posted relatively soon. Please keep reviewing—your words help keep me writing!_

**Chapter 33: Public Displays—Ninth Date, part two**

Kakashi strode through the streets of Yukigakure, looking for the shop he'd visited two days earlier. He'd been purposeful in selecting it, choosing an older mom-and-pop-style shop over the more modern, stylish stores that were in abundance in this part of the town. His reasoning for doing so was impeccable, as usual, and threefold: the newer stores were much more likely, in this technology-enamored state, to have video surveillance equipment; Snow was renowned for its ability at trade; and Kakashi had no desire to improve upon the shadowy image which currently appeared in enemy bingo books.

He walked into the store, smiling to himself as low-tech jingle bells attached to the front door announced his arrival. An elderly man parted the indigo-dyed noren separating the main room from what was apparently a work area and walked slowly toward the counter, loupe and polishing cloth in hand. He paused and squinted as he came within range of Kakashi, then smiled warmly as he recognized the ninja.

"Ah! Leaf Shinobi. It is good to see you again." The proprietor leaned over to remove a small box from a locked drawer beneath the counter, and sighed as he creakily straightened up. "I think you will be very pleased. This is some of my best work."

Kakashi opened the box presented to him and removed its contents, holding them up to the light that streamed in through the many paned windows. She would be thrilled, he was sure of it, as sure as he was that she would say, "Yes."

"Where did you say you found those stones? I haven't seen ones of such quality in years. They're almost flawless."

_Like Sakura._

"Rock country." Something about this man made him feel quite comfortable, and Kakashi found that for once, he wanted to talk. "I bought them a long time ago, and have kept them with me since-- they remind me of someone precious to me." As he spoke, Kakashi worried the small hole he'd created in his vest in order to release the rare stones. It had felt strange to do so—the garment and its hidden treasure had rarely left his side in the eight years since he had sewn the stones into the padded lining of the vest. He'd therefore, some weeks ago, been beside himself when he'd awakened from his coma to find his clothes gone. Yes, his scrolls were important, irreplaceable, actually, but he was also well aware of the value of the beryls he kept on his person, and being a somewhat _frugal_ person (that was a much nicer word than "cheap," he thought), his heart had skipped a few beats until he'd located the vest which held the loose stones. Thankfully, his well-worn jounin vest had not been burned with the rest of his bloodied clothes.

"And now you're giving one to her?" Kakashi glanced at the jeweler, distracted. "The person so precious to you? She must be a very special person, indeed. I went ahead and appraised them for you—no charge—it was a pleasure spending time with them. They're each worth more than a diamond of that size and grade. Even as cabochons they refract the light beautifully— but you'd expect that, wouldn't you?" Kakashi looked at him blankly. "They have almost no inclusions—so rare for this type of stone. Well, enough jeweler talk—I'm boring you, aren't I? It's just that I rarely see gems of such exceptional quality. Let me wrap this up for you."

"No need." Kakashi snapped the small box shut and pocketed it, sliding a fairly thick stack of notes across the counter as he did so.

"Come again, please." Kakashi lifted his arm in a lazy good-bye gesture as he left the small shop and headed toward the open-air market. He'd seen the perfect container on the walk over—he was sure it would delight her. And of course, he couldn't forget himself. He giggled as he thought of several items that would delight him.

…o…o…o…o…

Sakura examined the address scribbled on the sheet of paper she held and compared it to the address carved into the lintel of the very expensive-looking door in front of her. "3209 N.E. Tsuiki Drive." But this location did not appear to be a store. There was no sign, and no window display, nor was there any other indication that retail transactions took place there. It was clear that this was the most fashionable, expensive part of town, from the width of the street, to the well-maintained plantings of winter-blooming bulbs adorning the curb. But this building looked as though it might house a lawyer's office, or a doctor's or that of any other successful business person. "Business_man_," Sakura corrected herself, remembering Kakashi's description of the regressive social structure of Snow.

She raised her hand to rap on the thick, frosted glass pane of the door, an apology at the ready, then spied a small, discreet push button, just above an equally discreet brass plaque. She moved closer to read the tiny writing. "Noriko's Secret," it read. She pressed the doorbell and was immediately ushered inside the foyer of what looked to be an expensively-decorated residence-- a very pink, satin-upholstered residence.

"Welcome," said the well-preserved, well-endowed woman who greeted her with an appraising smile as she waved her inside. "It's not often we have foreign visitors such as yourself." She touched her hand to her expertly coiffed platinum blond hair, then smoothed her well-cut, yet prim suit. Sakura self-consciously did the same to her own hair and clothes, suddenly realizing how travel-weary and sloppy she must look to this paragon of Snow country style.

"Excuse me, but how--?"

"My friend Kimi called ahead from the depaato and let me know you'd be stopping by. She said I should wait for a lovely pink-haired kunoichi, and here you are." The woman smiled brightly as she waved to a brocade-upholstered chair, indicating that Sakura should sit. "May I get you some o-cha?"

"If you insist--yes. That really would be nice." The saleswoman bustled away, leaving a trail of high-priced perfume in her wake. Sakura took the opportunity to glance around the room. This was certainly the least commercial store she'd ever visited—not a single product appeared to be on display. If she hadn't been directed here for her stated purpose, she'd never have guessed that this place was a lingerie shop. It seemed more like someone's home, and the home of an older, single woman, at that—there was absolutely nothing gender-neutral about her surroundings. Sakura stood and walked slowly around the room. Every single item—from the pair of small, matching settees placed perpendicular to the heavily carved mantle, to the fringe-trimmed lamps, to the rose-patterned, hand-hooked area rugs—was pink. Even the room's illumination was a warm rose.

_You would have loved this when you were twelve._

_Yes, but I would have hated it by the time I turned thirteen. I feel like I'm standing in a jar of gari, or inside a giant stomach. Blech. It's like a pack of psychotic cupids were set loose on the place. Hasn't this woman been introduced to the idea of subtlety?_

The saleswoman, who identified herself as the eponymous Noriko, returned with two western-style teacups, each balanced on a thin porcelain saucer. The tea service, at least, was cream-colored, not pink, Sakura noted, although the tiny, hand-painted fuchsias on each kept to the room's general theme. Sakura sipped her tea as Noriko smiled, again gazing at her appraisingly.

"So, tell me. What exactly are you looking for?"

"Just some basic lingerie, I guess. My luggage didn't arrive here with me, and I've been making do. I don't need much—we'll be leaving soon. Just a bra and panties, I guess."

"I'll need to take measurements, of course. I can usually tell which undergarments will be suitable just by looking at a woman. I'd guess you're about a 70. I see you in palest pink, to match your hair, with lots of lace. It will play up your innocence, I think. And since you're rather flat-chested, (no offense, sweetheart, but facts are facts, you know—you're not even wearing a bra, for heaven's sake), I think I'd like to try a push-up bra, with light padding, to embroider a bit on what nature gave you."

_Flat-chested? I'm not flat-chested! I'm petite! __Sakura did her best to control her burgeoning temper._

"I'm pretty happy with what nature gave me, actually. And I prefer black." Sakura abandoned any pretense of politeness, setting her tea aside, and looking the saleswoman squarely in the eye.

"Well, then." The woman stood, looking a bit disappointed. "Let's get started." She led Sakura into a slightly more commercial-looking (though still pink) space, although the number of wares on display was a bit disappointing. Sakura guessed that more were hidden in the several armoires scattered around the room's periphery. How strange, she thought. What type of store kept its goods hidden from view? Perhaps this had something to the unusual mores of Snow's people.

Sakura was soon installed in a rather spacious dressing room, which, like the first room, resembled more a household room than a business space. It was like a small bedroom, minus the bed, with a cheval mirror, small table and overstuffed wing chair. It prompted a long-forgotten memory of a book Ino had loaned her years before. It had been Sakura's first romance novel, read before she discovered her attraction to Sasuke, when her friendship with Ino had been strong and unsullied by competition over boys. How old was she then—eleven? Unlike the precocious Ino, she'd barely hit puberty. Sakura had laughed at the book and the main character's complete absorption with the cold, brooding man of her dreams, and the eleven-year-old kunoichi-in-training had vowed never to become so silly over something as trivial as a man's affection. Of course, she'd completely forgotten that vow only months later, when she'd fallen head over heels for Sasuke. Not only that: she'd changed completely into the very type of girl she'd despised, a girl who defined herself in terms of another. Sakura smiled wryly as the memory of the poorly-written novel came back to her. The main character had spent most of her time pining away in a boudoir which Sakura realized greatly resembled the room in which she now stood.

_This explains a lot. This woman must be a romance junkie_.

The saleswoman's voice interrupted her thoughts. "Why don't you get undressed? I'll be back with some suitable items." Noriko began to exit the small room, then turned back with a smile upon her half-pursed lips. "Hmm. Is there a man in your life?" She laughed as Sakura's body responded affirmatively with a blush. "Are you married? Engaged? Oh—not yet? You know, the right undergarments can do a lot to advance a relationship. Have you ever tried role-playing? It could tip the scales in your favor."

Sakura blushed more deeply. "I thought-- I mean, I heard that Snow was fairly conservative—"

"Oh, we are, no doubt about it. We'd never allow men into a store like this, for instance. It just wouldn't be appropriate. But in the privacy of one's home, things are often different. There's a saying in Snow that a woman should be a perfect saint in public and a perfect whore in private -- pardon my language, dear. Our men _do_ like to be entertained, and we women don't like them to stray." She winked at Sakura, then pulled out a measuring tape, which, for a just a moment, appeared to Sakura to take the form of a whip.

Sakura was flummoxed, unable to respond to Noriko's comments as she took her measurements. The woman had seemed so staid and proper when she'd answered the door, but now she seemed much more like… a madam. And the room in which she now stood suddenly bore a closer resemblance to a bordello than a middle-aged woman's saccharine fantasy in pink.

She finally found her voice. "I'm really just looking for something simple. I'm pretty boring when it comes to clothing, really."

Sakura demurred when the saleswoman returned, accepting the black, silken items presented to her, but insisting to the woman that indeed, dressing was something she would be able to accomplish herself. She felt the woman hovering outside the door, however, which thankfully had a lock.

"All of those have matching panties, darling. I'll place them by the cash register in the main room, and you can pick out the ones that match what you've selected. Are you sure you wouldn't like to try a push-up bra in pink? I'm sure you'd drive your honey crazy with just a little bit more effort. Or maybe some cream-colored Alençon lace? I have a bustier and garter belt that would fit you perfectly and set your skin off. He won't be able to resist you—"

A muted doorbell rung, and the saleswoman hurried off, eliciting a sigh of relief and a whispered "thank you," to the local deities of Konoha who surely were looking out for the frustrated kunoichi. Sakura checked the door once more, to ensure she'd be uninterrupted, and set to work.

The very first garment fit perfectly—apparently Noriko did know her trade—and Sakura quickly set it aside to be purchased. She really should buy several—it was hard to find simple, well-fitting underwear. Things in her size were usually overdone or completely girlish. Neither of those were her style. These garments, on the other hand, were elegant and classic—a reflection, she realized, of the many differences between the cosmpolitan Snow and the down-to-earth Fire. Sakura picked up another garment, sighing as she did so. It was a lace-embellished push-up bra, something utterly impractical for either field or hospital work. It was beautiful, though, and it did meet her criterion of being black. And it wasn't insultingly padded, either. She might as well try it on. Sakura fastened the hooks and eyes behind her, then leaned from the waist to adjust the brassiere, fussing with the straps as she did so.

"You have the most beautiful ass, Sakura," a soft voice growled behind her. "Absolutely perfect."

Sakura jumped, nearly hitting her head on the tilted mirror that stood before her. "K-Kakashi? Where did you come from?" She turned to see the jounin leaning against the still-locked door with an animal look in his visible eye. "How on earth did you know where to find me?"

"I could smell you." He said the words in a bored, matter-of-fact tone, as though locating ones lover through olfactory means was an everyday occurrence.

"You could…smell me?" Sakura was almost overtaken by a sudden, strong urge to sniff herself. Did she stink? The fact that he was able to track her by her smell was completely humiliating.

"I love your scent, Sakura. You smell like spring." His wolfish smile was evident through his mask, and in the certain crinkle of his visible eye. "And a little bit like me, of course."

His aside was not lost on her. _Like an animal marking his territory_, she thought. _He can be absolutely infuriating._ She let his comment slide, however, as she was curious to find out exactly how he'd found her. "But how did you know to come here? You can't smell me from a kilometer away, can you? And this can't be the only lingerie store in this village."

"I wasn't looking for you, actually."

"Oh?" Sakura noticed he was holding several items in his hand, items similar, no doubt, to those worn by the nameless females scattered through the pages of Icha, Icha. "Noriko actually let you in? She said men aren't allowed in stores like this."

"Henge. She took a liking to me when I stopped by to pick up your nightgown the other day. My doppelganger will be keeping her busy for a while, I think."

"I have to see this." Sakura moved toward the door, eager to get a view of a female Kakashi.

He reached out his arm to stop her. "Don't. I can show you later." He smiled as a thought occurred to him. "In fact, that might be… pleasant. Sakura, didn't you say Ino offered to show you how to kiss? Did you ever take her up on it?"

"Nani?" Her eyes widened.

"Never mind. Come a little closer, hana. I want to get a better look at you. Do you have any idea how incredible you look in black? The contrast with your skin is breathtaking. You almost glow." He set the items he was holding onto the table, then moved toward the still-confused kunoichi. His lips touched hers lightly through the silken fabric of his mask, then moved quickly toward her prominently displayed breasts. He moved his mask aside and ran his tongue over the rich fabric of her garment, eliciting a sigh of pleasure from his lover, followed by an immediate stiffening of her back.

"Kakashi—I can't purchase a bra that's wet with your saliva."

"Oh, you're definitely buying it. You can just give her the tags to ring up and wear it out. Don't be a spoilsport, Sakura."

"I am _not_ a spoilsport." A note of petulance colored her voice.

"No? Well, then. Try these on. He grabbed a pair of marabou-trimmed mules from the items he'd placed on the table and handed them to his lover.

"Kakashi—these are—" she attempted to span the height of the heels with her fingers, and failed. "These heels must be at least 18 cm high. I'd break my ankles if I tried to walk around in them."

"Who said anything about walking?"

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "What would be the point of buying them, then? Oh. Hentai!" Nonetheless, she slipped on the black satin mules, and smiled in surprise upon discovering that they fit.

"Look at yourself." He turned her so that she stood in profile before the mirror, and slowly scanned her reflection with a lazy, yet appreciative eye. "You really do have a gorgeous ass," he murmured, approvingly noting the way the tall heels changed her posture somewhat, highlighting her posterior. He ran his hand down the small of her back, resting it on the smooth fabric of her panties. "It's not perverted to appreciate how beautiful you are, Sakura."

"You're insatiable, Kakashi."

"Only around you. By the way, why are these damp?"

"I had to wash them out in the sink this morning. It's the reason we went shopping, remember?"

"Aa. Put these on, instead." He removed a small black garment from small pile on the table and handed it to her, his eyes fixed on her face as she examined his offering. The glint in his eye belied his anticipation of her expected response. He was not disappointed.

"Kakashi? Why do these panties have… _four_ openings?" She blushed as she examined the garment more closely. "You have got to be kidding. These are completely—"

_Ridiculous._

"-- impractical."

He did his best to suppress the smile that played at his lips. It was amusing to shred the last vestiges of her innocence-- her last expression had been priceless. "On the contrary, Sakura, they're very practical."

Sakura flushed crimson at his words. "You really don't expect me to wear these, do you?"

"Not if you don't want to." Kakashi wrapped his arms around her and pressed her against the papered walls of the outsized dressing room, caressing her near-naked form with light, expert touches until he felt her pulse quicken and her breath grow shallow. Then, in a lightning quick series of movements, he grabbed a kunai, pulled her panties clear of her body and cut them into a reasonable facsimile of the rejected pair.

"What in the seven hells are you doing?" Sakura tried in vain to push the copy nin away.

"Well, you said you were tired of them. Plus, this way you can keep them on." Kakashi returned the kunai to its pouch, and ran his lips along the curve of Sakura's neck. "I want you, Sakura. Right now."

She struggled to hold on to her indignation. His touch was distracting, inebriating. "I didn't say I was tired of them, Kakashi! I said that I was tired of wearing the _same_ _pair_."

He looked at her blankly, and shrugged one shoulder, apparently not discerning the difference between the two statements. "Fine. I'll buy you new ones." He ran his hands along the curve of her hips, breathing in her heady fragrance as he did so. "It would be my pleasure," he said softly.

"You're so generous."

"I have lots of good qualities."

"You could have cut me, Kakashi."

"I think we both know that would never happen." His fingers caressed her newly-exposed flesh, delighting in its satiny wetness. "I also think you enjoyed it, Sakura." He moved his hand to his mouth and one by one, licked each finger clean.

"Hentai." She nearly spat out the word. "You didn't have to ruin them, Kakashi. If a quickie is what you're after, I would have been more than happy to take them off."

"Really?" Kakashi's eye widened perceptibly. "How do you know about quickies, Sakura?"

She rolled her eyes. "Ino, who else? I've learned way more about her sex life than I ever wanted to."

"Hmm. But you said you weren't an exhibitionist. Noriko-san might hear." He had thought she might need some persuading. Once again, she'd surprised him.

"You've corrupted me." She pressed her lips against his, and allowed her tongue to find his.

He savored the feel of her, and her definite lack of reticence. She was a quick learner, as he'd known for years, and it seemed her competitive streak applied even here, to their sexual relationship. Despite her inexperience, he was certain she'd soon give him a run for the money, skill-wise. But there were still some things she didn't understand. "You're missing the point, though, Sakura. Part of the fun of a quickie is keeping your clothes on. Especially those clothes, Sakura." The wolfish expression returned to his face as he disengaged from their embrace her to regard the contrast between her skin and undergarments.

"Oh." She contemplated this for a moment. "So, you're planning on remaining fully clothed, while I stand here wearing slashed up panties, a see-through bra, and shoes a prostitute might own?"

"I don't think most prostitutes would be able to afford those shoes, Sakura."

She looked at him for a moment, an appropriate retort on her lips. But she had no desire, she realized, to delve into his knowledge of prostitution (which was probably encyclopedic and quite possibly first-hand). She said, instead, "Strip."

"Hmm?"

"I said, 'Strip,' Kakashi. Now do it."

"But—"

It was amusing to put him on the defensive, Sakura found. "I'm guessing another part of the fun of a quickie is the thrill of possibly getting caught. This will add to the pleasure, don't you think? I'd think it would be completely humiliating to have someone walk in on you while you were buck naked and in the throes of passion. Which should make it all the more exciting." She smiled. "Oh. And I'm certainly not going to take part in this if I'm the only one who's undressed."

Kakashi complied, as Sakura's reasoning did make a lot of sense (damn her intelligence!), but a newfound passive-aggressive streak caused him to take an inordinate amount of time to carefully fold his clothes, setting them carefully on the table with the other items he'd intended to purchase. "Happy?" he said, finally, as he stood before her, wearing only his hitae-ate.

"Very. That was quite a show."

"Good. I'm glad you liked it." She almost didn't hear his whispered response as his lips found her own, as he slowly and inexorably began to pleasure her. He pressed her against the striped, moiré covered walls of the almost-bedroom, instructing her sotto voce as he did so.

"Wrap your leg around my waist." The black satin shoes, Sakura realized, were more than some idle fetish of the copy nin—they actually _were_ functional. With several centimeters in added height, she came much closer to approaching Kakashi's height, and physically, that made things much easier. Kakashi entered her easily, eliciting a gasp of pleasure from his beautiful kunoichi as he did so. He quickly grabbed her other leg, wrapping it around himself, then moved his hands to support Sakura at the waist and lower back. He gently lifted her again and again, smiling as he felt and saw how easily he brought her to the brink of exquisite release. She let out a soft, throaty cry of pleasure as he pressed her more closely against himself.

"Quiet, Sakura. You don't want Noriko to hear, do you?"

"Wha?" Kakashi's words cut through the fog of pleasure that surrounded Sakura, allowing her the briefest glimpse of propriety. She was lost again in a moment, however, as she sank back into the clouded bliss her lover instilled in her. "I'm pretty sure I don't care, Kakashi."

"Oh?" Kakashi smiled as a plan crystallized in his mind. Moments later, the door to the dressing room rattled, and a familiar voice was heard.

"Is everything okay in there? I really didn't mean to leave you alone for so long. Hello? Are you okay?"

Sakura's eyes widened as she snapped back to reality. Kakashi, however, kept moving her against him in a languid, yet persistent rhythm.

"I—I'm fine. I'm almost…done." The last word caught in her throat as she struggled against a strong spasm of pleasure. Sakura reddened as she heard Kakashi's quiet chuckle in her ear.

"Is there anything I can get you?"

"No, no, I'll be done—" she almost screamed in release. "—soon."

A crash was heard some distance away, and Sakura sighed in relief as Noriko scurried off.

"What was that?"

"One of those lamps in the front room." Kakashi smiled lopsidedly. "You can thank me later. On second thought, now would be a good time…"

"You did that on purpose, didn't you?"

"Broke the lamp? Uh-huh."

"No." Sakura's eyes narrowed. "You sent her down here somehow."

"Why would I do that, hana?"

"Because—because—it brings you pleasure to—"

"Everything about you brings me pleasure, Sakura." He pressed her against the wall as his movements became more urgent. "You bring me such pleasure."

Sakura felt a sudden influx of blue-white chakra as Kakashi overloaded her wiring and joined her in the extreme bliss she felt. She clutched him tightly, her cry of absolute pleasure muted by the pressure of his lips against her own.

"How is it, Kakashi," she asked minutes later, "that every time we do this it gets better?"

"I don't know, Sakura. But it's certainly worth investigating further, don't you think?"

"Un." She watched lazily as her lover dressed himself, unwilling to follow his lead just yet.

"I'll meet you in the park. I don't think Noriko would appreciate it if we walked out of here together, do you?" He turned away and disappeared, leaving the smallest breeze in his wake.

Sakura dressed slowly, smiling to herself as she did so, then gathered the simple items she planned to purchase, as well as the small stack of items Kakashi had picked out. She set the feather-trimmed mules on top, and lifted the bundle before her. He might be a hentai, but he certainly knew what he was doing. She'd be happy to wear whatever props he picked out. And, she realized, she really did like the shoes.


	34. An Idle Afternoon 10th date

_Disclaimer: Naruto and associated characters are property of Masashi Kishimoto. They are not my property!_

**Fourteen Dates **

_Author's note: This chapter is mostly conversation, with an unexpected lemon thrown in—I couldn't resist, even though I wrote earlier that there would not be any in the next few chapters. When I imagine Kakashi and Sakura interacting, it inevitably leads to them becoming intimate, and when I think about where they are in their relationship, including the lemon seemed authentic. This chapter is therefore unsuitable for people under age 18. Even without the lemon it would be unsuitable. Please know that I am leading up to something. The scenes here are here for a reason, in case you're wondering--including them has a purpose important to the story. "Trust me. I'm an expert at this." (--well, not really. Actually I'm still pretty green.)_

_There is also a fair amount of Japanese vocabulary in this chapter, so if that is likely to distract you, you may want to scroll down to the bottom of the page and read through the glossary before starting the actual chapter._

_Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, and if you haven't reviewed, I would love to hear from you. It's always good to know people are enjoying the story, and I really love to read your comments._

_Also, thank you to the person who nominated this story in the Naruto Choice fanfiction contest. It's a first for me, and I am really honored._

**Chapter 34: An Idle Afternoon —Tenth Date**

"Osoi. What kept you?" Kakashi looked up from his luridly-clad novel as Sakura approached him.

"I can't believe that you of all people are accusing me of being late. Your _doppelganger_ is what kept me, Kakashi."

Kakashi raised his eyebrow. "My doppelganger? I released the jutsu when I left."

"You should have seen Noriko. She was livid about the lamp. She kept going on about how expensive it was, how she wouldn't be able to find another one to match its mate, how inconsiderate it was of you to break it, blah, blah, blah. She couldn't understand how you'd disappeared, either. She ran to her cash register and counted the till over and over until she was satisfied that you hadn't ripped her off. I think she forgot I was there for a while."

"Didn't mean to cause a commotion." He shut his book and slipped it into his shuriken pouch, turning to the kunoichi as he did so, and eyeing the oversize bag she carried. "Did you get everything you needed?" He managed not to smirk at the sight of black feathers peeping out of the bag.

"Yes. When will we be leaving Snow, Kakashi?"

"I'm still not sure you're ready to travel. How about a walk through the park, or around town, so we can see how well you hold up?"

"Do you really think I won't be able to manage a simple hike?"

"Sakura, you were at death's door only days ago. And I promised Junko I would make sure you were in good health before we left. Surely you're not suggesting I go against a medic's orders?"

Sakura glowered as she shook her head slowly, then flopped down next to him on a painted wooden bench that faced the park's snow covered lawn. Three kids were playing not far from them, she noted, in an improvised three-way snow battle. They couldn't be more than ten or eleven years old, but displayed the easy grace of friends who have known each other for years. All three were underdressed for the weather, Sakura thought, but perhaps in Snow the current weather qualified as spring. Patches of green were showing on the lawn, after all, as rugged blades of grass poked their way up through the snowy blanket covering them. The girl had recently gone through a growth spurt, Sakura surmised, noting the poor fit of the clothes on her elongated, skinny frame. She was almost a head taller than her two companions, and seemed to dominate them, rubbing snow into the collar of one friend's jacket, and tackling the other. This didn't discourage the first, who ran circles around her like a hyperactive toy dog, while the second merely ignored them both.

"So innocent." Sakura sighed as she turned to the copy ninja, whom, she noted, had an unusual look in his eye.

"Hardly, Sakura. They're shinobi—genin, by the looks of them. The training fields aren't far from here. They were wearing their hitae-ate when they arrived." He looked out across the lawn, and Sakura's eyes followed his. Sure enough, she saw, they'd abandoned their snow fighting and now were practicing their jutsu on each other.

"They allow the girls to train with the boys? I wouldn't have thought so, considering what you told me earlier."

"They're taught together until they become teenagers. Then they're segregated." He observed the gamine, who was easily more skilled than her male counterparts. In two swift moves she'd disarmed her closest companion, and pinned the other to a tree. "Once they do so, the girls are trained as kunoichi—old style kunoichi, that is. That girl's obvious talents won't be put to use. And to make it worse, being a kunoichi is seen as less than honorable here." There was that look again. Was it wistfulness?

Sakura said nothing. She'd learned over many years that Kakashi did not respond well to probing questions, particularly about his emotions. True, he'd been very open to her recently, but nonetheless she felt uncomfortable pressing him on such matters. If he wanted to tell her what was on his mind, she decided, he would do so, eventually. She sat peaceably next to him, feeling his stillness wash over her. It was tinged with the slightest trace of sadness, she realized.

"It's funny how easy it is to underestimate someone," he said finally.

Sakura looked at him questioningly, but still said nothing.

"In this case, an entire sex. It's easier to pigeon-hole people than to take the time to find out their individual strengths and weaknesses."

"Those of us who are underestimated need to be more like Naruto, I think." She grasped his hand with her own, and rubbed the knit fabric of his gloves against his skin in a soothing rhythm.

"She reminds me of you."

"I guessed that." Sakura gazed critically at the younger kunoichi, comparing the genin to her mind's image of her own former self. This girl was much prettier than she, with shining, dark hair and emotive ebony eyes. She was as beautiful as Ino, really. Or Sasuke. Sakura nearly giggled aloud at the thought of the preening peacock on whom she'd wasted countless hours of her teenage years. He really was about as pretty as the young kunoichi scrimmaging on the lawn. In Sakura's mind, the only thing her younger self had in common with this girl was domineering behavior (which was definitely not of the classical kunoichi mold), a diminutive frame and coltish, gangly legs. Sakura remembered hating her skinniness and concomitant angularity at that age. She'd felt so clumsy and ugly compared to others. This girl obviously did not seem to feel the same way. She was at home in her skin—she was flirtatious in a pre-teen, wholesome way, and she appeared to have none of the self-doubt that had plagued Sakura for much of her life. How was it that Kakashi saw a similarity between them?

Sakura turned to try to better read her lover's face, and was surprised by the force of his embrace. It was crushing, powerful, and completely unexpected in such a public venue. He'd even pulled down his mask, she realized, which surprised her, given the need he'd expressed to keep the details of his features out of the bingo books. Thankfully, the slight wind moved her chin length hair into a curtain that partially obscured any view a passerby might have of his face.

"I love you, Sakura."

"And I love you, Kakashi."

He replaced his mask, then fumbled within his pants pocket and withdrew a small box. "I bought this for you earlier."

She accepted the small container and gasped as she realized what is was.

"Himitsu bako da yo! How did you…" Sakura's eyes welled with tears.

"I saw it in the market and recalled that you had a collection. Did you get rid of them? I don't remember seeing them in your apartment."

"No, I packed them away when I moved. I couldn't look at them—the memories of my parents were still too strong." She smiled as she brushed away her tears. "Each New Year's my mom made me a temari and asked me to find its formula, and my father gave me one of these boxes. Each year the ball was more complex and the puzzle was a bit harder, but I was always able to figure out the ball's pattern and open the box, even if I had to stay up all night. How many steps does this one have?"

Kakashi laughed as he regarded the small, inlaid puzzle box. "I don't think I'm going to tell you that, hana."

Sakura held the box to her ear and shook it gently. "Nothing inside, is there?"

He shrugged. "Again, I don't think I'm going to tell you that."

She ran her fingers along the box, searching for signs of the first kannuki. The pieces were fitted together seamlessly, however, and not even hairline cracks showed when Sakura held the box so that the cold, bright sunlight fully illuminated it. There was no evidence of sliding panels anywhere on the box.

"It doesn't matter. I'll figure it out by sundown. It can't be any more difficult than the last one my father gave me. That one had forty-five steps." Sakura turned the small box in her hands and marveled at its craftsmanship. "Did the vendor tell you what type of wood it's made of?"

"Ebony, Ash, Katsura and Hoo."

The sides of the box were covered with red and cream yosegi in a repeating asa pattern, while the top of the box had fine muku inlay. The foreground was bisected diagonally by a flower-laden sakura branch, while in the background was a beach scene, showing tiny birds running in and out of the surf. Sandpipers? She looked more closely. Chidori, of course. Sakura smiled at the symbolism of the gift. "It's perfect, isn't it?"

"I'm glad you like it, Sakura." Kakashi rubbed his hand across the crown of Sakura's head in a gesture he hadn't made for years, then stood and stretched lazily, smiling at her pique at having her hair mussed. "Ready for that walk?"

They walked slowly, arm in arm down the park's central path, then took a side path into a more secluded area.

"I thought it might be a good idea to review the content of the scrolls Junko gave you. No one's here-- I already checked."

"Why bother if you memorized them with your Sharingan?"

"Humor me."

Sakura sighed as she began to recite the text of the first scroll. The words rolled automatically off her tongue in a near monotonous tone. Her eyes widened, though, as her memory lapsed. "This has never happened before. I've always been able to remember perfectly."

Kakashi looked at the kunoichi with concern. "Do you think this could be a lingering effect of your illness?"

"I… I guess so." She closed her eyes as she tried to recall the missing content, and opened them a moment later in frustration. "It's gone. I'm glad you memorized them, Kakashi. What a waste it would be otherwise." She kicked the ground in irritation with herself, scuffing her boot in the process.

"Have you forgotten anything else?"

"It's hard to know that, isn't it? How can I know what I've forgotten?"

"Good point." Kakashi scratched the back of his head as he thought. He'd expect her memories to be spotty for the time during her fever, so it probably wasn't worth asking about that time. But had her long-term memory been impacted? "Do you remember the ryokan?"

"The inn where we stayed? A little. I don't remember its name. It had quite a few lamps outside, didn't it?"

"What was our room like?"

Sakura was nonplussed. "_Our_ room? We shared a room? Oh, wait a minute, no we didn't." She restrained herself from punching the fork-tongued copy ninja. "I had my own room—we shared a suite. It was sukiya style, wasn't it?"

"You tell me."

"Hmm. I remember tatami, so it must have been. And there was a kind old lady who dressed me in your mother's kimono, and I remember sitting under a beautiful sakura with you… that's about it."

"What about the barbecue place?"

"Where the little girl threw up on me and I got angry at you? Clear as a bell. Well, almost. The girl's face is a little fuzzy."

"Will you do that for me again?"

"What?"

"Wear a wet t-shirt. You have no idea how hard it was to keep my hands off you."

"You're a pig." Sakura shook her head as she considered Kakashi's lascivious nature. "Let's walk. I want to prove to you that I'm ready to leave this place."

…o…o…o…o…

Kakashi inspected the array of hand weapons he had carefully laid upon the room's small table. He picked up a kunai, and ran it lightly upon the pad of his thumb, noting with a frown that even with more than gentle pressure, it did not draw blood. He opened his kunai pouch and retrieved a small bundle, unwrapping three small whetstones of varying roughness. He picked up the largest stone, the areto, and carefully began to rub it at a precise angle along the edge of the carbon steel blade. It was satisfying work, he'd always thought. Some might think it monotonous, but actually it was a meditative act, in which one could focus solely upon the task at hand. He held the blade up to the light, and satisfied with his work, switched to the second, finer stone.

"I guess I have my answer." Kakashi hadn't realized Sakura had crept up behind him, intent as he was on honing the blades. She'd been sitting on the bed, last he noticed, examining the puzzle box and swearing softly at it every now and then. When was the last time anyone had been able to creep up behind him, he wondered. Then again, when was the last time he'd allowed himself to get this close to anyone? Twenty years, at least. Kakashi realized with a smile that it was becoming second nature to let down his guard around her. He felt almost as though she were an extension of himself.

"To what?" He leaned his head back against Sakura's warm frame, delighting in the soft resistance of her breasts.

"You wouldn't be sharpening your kunai unless we were leaving. Where are mine, by the way?"

"I didn't think to pack them—I wasn't in the clearest state of mind when we set off for Snow."

"You thought to dress me in these." Sakura kicked her leg into Kakashi's view to point out the knee-high boots she was wearing.

"Well, I always did like boots, Sakura."

"You are such an incredible hentai, Kakashi. You have a foot fetish, too?"

"Sakura, I chose the boots because it's cold in Snow, and your only other shoes were your sandals. Plain and simple. You really have no sense of humor, do you?"

Sakura unzipped her footwear and kicked it aside. There was nothing more unpleasant than feet made hot, sticky, and pungently aromatic by hours trapped inside boots. "I need to shower. Someone told me today that I smell. Would you order dinner?"

"Only if you promise not to come out naked when the bellhop arrives."

"Deal." She turned to enter the bathroom, only to be interrupted by Kakashi.

"You know, it's only three hours until sundown. Do you think you'll have the puzzle box opened by then?"

"Don't underestimate me, Hatake-san, and wipe that smirk off your face." She turned on her heel and closed the bathroom door firmly behind her.

"I stopped underestimating you quite a long time ago, Sakura," Kakashi said softly. He picked up the phone to order an elaborate dinner, then returned to his sharpening. He used the finest whetstone, the shirato, to hone the kunai's blade to a razor-sharp edge, while listening to the sounds of the shower. Was she singing? He had to witness this.

He quietly entered the bathroom, unheard by Sakura, whose mezzo-soprano voice was quite a bit more mellow and sultry than her usual speaking voice. Her voice was slightly off key at times, he noted, but not unpleasantly so. He stripped down as she continued to sing, then quietly filled a glass with ice cold water and pitched its contents into the shower.

What a beautiful shriek she had—he'd never noticed how melodic it was. And those eyes—they really were a match for the stones he'd tucked inside the himitsu bako, especially when they flashed with anger. He smiled to himself as his eyes met hers and stood up to their baleful glare. She really had no chance of solving its puzzle tonight—it was far too complex. There were at least 1000 permutations possible, once the first kannuki was slid, and Sakura hadn't even found the first sliding key. Apart from that, he planned on keeping her busy.

"I thought we were even, Kakashi."

"We are-- that was just for fun. You really need to be on your guard, Sakura. I could have been an enemy nin."

"If you were an enemy nin, that would mean my lover was lying wounded or dead in the bedroom. That doesn't seem likely, Kakashi."

_She trusts you completely._

"Aren't you going to invite me in?" He looked so playful and innocent, with his hands tucked behind his back and a lopsided smile gracing his face. It was hard to reconcile the man standing before her with the elite assassin he'd proven himself to be.

"You're not one to take no for an answer, so go ahead." Sakura parted the curtains for him, and stepped aside to allow him access to the shower stream. To her surprise, Kakashi immediately knelt down.

"What are you doing?"

"Give me your leg." He patted his thigh as he looked at Sakura expectantly.

"My leg. Why?"

"You said you needed a shave, Sakura."

"And you're going to shave me? With what?" Kakashi removed his hand from behind his back and held out the recently honed kunai.

"Trust me. I'm an expert at this."

Sakura's voice was dry. "Kakashi, what evidence do you have to support that assertion? You wear a _mask_. You could slash open your face every day, for all I know."

"Please?"

She relented, and he smiled victoriously as he grabbed the soap and lathered up her leg. It felt nice to feel his attention in this way, Sakura realized. He was meticulous in his actions, running the blade only once over each area of skin, moving with care over the hills and valleys of her ankle and knee, and carefully avoiding nicking her with the tip of the blade. The simple act was luxuriant, she discovered, and completely sensual. She felt the blade caress the tender flesh of her inner thigh and sighed. How was he able to arouse her by performing such a commonplace task?

Kakashi set her leg down, and beckoned for her to replace it with its mate. She obliged, smiling as she noticed the small rivulets of water coursing down the tangles of hair that half-hid his face. He was oblivious to them, it seemed, focused fully on the task at hand. She allowed herself to feel it just as fully. All too soon it was over, though, and Sakura looked down with the slightest bit of disappointment, to see Kakashi looking up at her with another unreadable expression on his face.

"May I see that kunai for just a second?" Kakashi handed the weapon/shaving implement to her and she quickly ran it across her underarms, which were embarrassingly forested. She nicked herself several times, but that was okay. There was no way she was going to allow the copy ninja to take on this particular job. She glanced down to see her lover still looking up at her, with the slightest hint of a smile.

"May I have that back?" She returned the kunai to its rightful owner, noticing the glint in his mismatched eyes. "Sakura," he asked, raising his hand to the intersection of her thighs and playing with the short pink curls adorning it. "Do you think--"

"You want to shave me _there_? With a _kunai_?" She looked at him in disbelief. "Why?"

"Well, it would make certain activities a bit easier."

"Oh. All…over?" He nodded. "Do you have any idea how irritating it will be when it starts to grow back in?"

"Sakura. You're a medic—the best in Fire. Surely you could come up with something to address that problem."

"I never thought of that." Her eyes sparkled to match his own. "Fine. But that means I get to shave you."

"You want to—" Kakashi looked at her in surprise-- not that he wouldn't let her do it. He just hadn't expected that she'd ask.

"Your face, silly. I don't trust myself enough to use a kunai on your…um…nether regions." Sakura blushed furiously at both the thought of doing so, and at the ridiculously euphemistic term she'd used.

_I sound like my mother. Ewww. Strike that._

"Oh. Sure. That seems fair." Kakashi did his best to sound nonchalant. There would be time enough in the future to divest her of that particular facet of her innocence.

Kakashi was a man of strange sexual appetites, Sakura decided as her hair was further shorn. Not that she thought shaving such a place was strange—she'd often depilated her bikini line, and Ino had convinced her once (only once) to try waxing—she'd just always considered it a rather private act of personal hygiene. That Kakashi was eager to take on this duty seemed just a bit weird. But certainly it was harmless, she told herself as she watched small pink clumps eddy in the water accumulating in the tub's drain. All of the quirks he'd demonstrated so far had been harmless, and as he had years of reading Icha, Icha behind him, Sakura was sure that there were many more quirks to come. She really needed to read up, she decided, to have a better idea of what was in store.

And now what was he doing? The man was absolutely sex-obsessed.

"Kakashi, it's slippery in here. Don't you think it would be better if we—oh!"

"I want you, Sakura. Make love to me."

"But I want to shave your face. You promised."

Kakashi sighed. "Fine. But I'm too tall compared to you for it to work in here, and I'm tired of kneeling." He turned and shut off the taps, then grabbed an oversized towel. "At least let me dry you off. Then you can have your way with me." He ran the towel through his hair, then quickly adjusted it around his waist and stepped out of the tub. He turned to the dripping wet kunoichi and beckoned. "Come on out." He gathered her into a second towel and gently began to rub her dry, lavishing her with all the attention he had bestowed on her legs.

_How does he make something so mundane feel so good?_

Sakura sighed as she felt her body responding to the copy ninja. His tongue lightly touched each place he dried, making his first efforts useless, but Sakura found that she didn't mind. He was more than she ever imagined a lover could be, treating her as though she were the only person in existence, as if she were everything to him.

"Sakura. Would you really rather shave me?"

"Mmm."

"I'll take that as a no." Kakashi scooped her up and easily carried her to the bed, allowing both of their towels to drop to the floor as he did so.

"I don't understand how you do this to me." His voice was muffled as he deposited her on the bed, then climbed in to join her, all the while kissing her lips, her throat, the nape of her neck.

"I love you, Kakashi."

"Show me."

"How?"

"Surprise me."

She mounted him, easily taking him inside of her, but sighing with pleasure at the sensations she felt as she did so. She noted with delight the expression of sheer bliss on her lover's face as he nodded his approval.

"Gently at first, Sakura. Take it slow."

"I think I know what I'm doing, Kakashi."

"Do you, now? Well, I'll just be quiet then, and let the master student display her skills. Such a fast learner, my little Sakura."

"I'm observant, Kakashi. Even without the Sharingan, I think I know what you like." She moved slowly against him, grinding her pelvis against his. She laughed aloud at the strangled groan this elicited. "See?"

"Do that again, Sakura. And again. Don't stop loving me."

"Kakashi. You know I never will, right?" She leaned in to gaze into his eyes, and saw the slightest hint of worry, which she rushed to dispel. "Kakashi, how could I ever stop loving you?" She stopped moving against him, and looked at him with concern.

"Sometimes I think I'm not meant for love. That _this_—that "_us_" is happening seems like a dream."

"But it's not a dream, Kakashi. And nothing is going to change that, you know. I don't think I could stop loving you, even if I wanted to. I wish—"

He looked at her, eyes intent.

"I wish I'd fallen in love with you a long time ago, Kakashi-kun."

"I know. I wish that, too." His eyes closed, and Sakura saw tranquility creep across his features. "Make love to me, Sakura."

"As you wish, Kakashi." She moved slowly at first, teasing him, allowing the soft, wet warmth of her body to caress him fully as she lowered herself onto him, then slowly raised herself up. She felt his hands on her hips, seeking to guide her rhythm. With a smile, she brushed them away, and increased her movements slightly. She heard him groan, and she smiled again in satisfaction.

"Tell me what you want, Kakashi."

"I want this to never end."

"This? Or us?"

"Both."

"Touch me, Kakashi."

His hands caressed her with practiced skill and within moments she felt herself at the edge of abandon.

"Kakashi, I—"

"Let go, Sakura. Let me see you let go."

"I—" She thrashed against him, moving more rapidly now, drawing closer and closer to temporary oblivion. She didn't hear the knock on the door, though Kakashi did.

"Room service."

He ignored it. Surely the bellhop would go away if no one answered.

The rapping increased in intensity.

"Excuse me? Is someone there? Your dinner is here."

Sakura was panting now, moaning in ecstasy, and Kakashi felt himself drawing close to climax. Surely the bellhop could hear them. Even their movement in the bed was noisy as Sakura rode him relentlessly. Couldn't the bellhop take a hint and come back later?

The rapping sounded again, and Kakashi saw the doorknob jiggle. Thankfully the door was locked, though he hadn't thought to slide the deadbolt into place. He heard the jangle of keys and made a lightning fast decision, reluctantly removing his hands from Sakura to make the necessary seals.

"Shit! What the hell?!" The doorknob on the bedroom side of the door glowed red hot. Its heat had traveled quickly, as brass is a fairly good conductor of both heat and electricity. Kakashi heard the sound of smashing glassware as what he assumed was their dinner crashed to the ground, followed by the sound of rapidly retreating footsteps.

He returned his gaze to Sakura in time to see her lose control. She was beautiful, in every way he'd ever imagined a woman to be. Her skin glistened with perspiration from her efforts, like dew on grass at the start of a hot summer day. The warmth that tinged her fair skin testified to her diligence, as well as to her arousal. Kakashi marveled at the curve her neck made as she threw her head back and moaned gutturally. He couldn't have asked for more in a woman, he realized, although he'd never dared to ask for anything at all. He lost himself in her and climaxed explosively, crying out her name as he did so.

"Kakashi?" He opened his eyes to see Sakura lying next to him contentedly, stroking the scar that bisected his eyelid and upper cheek. "Why is the doorframe... charred?"

He scratched the back of his head as he sat up in their bed. "Um… I'll tell you later. Oh, and about dinner? It looks like we'll be eating out tonight."

**Glossary**- I did try to limit the number of Japanese words I have included in this chapter to the bare minimum, as some people have found their inclusion to be distracting (although quite a few have said they like it). The words I did include are ones that I believe are critical to what I am trying to get across, and hopefully you have been able to figure out their meaning from context. Here is more information, though, in case you are interested:

_Osoi_—(You're) late.

_Himitsu bako da yo!_ It's a puzzle box!

_Himitsu bako_—a Japanese puzzle box. The name means "personal secret box"—according to what I've read, they were originally used for storage of important documents. Each box is covered with from four to 125 sliding panels (on larger boxes). The panels must be moved in the correct order to unlock the box. These boxes are small works of art. Sometimes they are covered with marquetry (yosegi in Japanese), tiny slivers of wood arranged into a pattern. Other times they are made of a type of inlay known as muku, in which the pattern goes all the way through the wood. I haven't started collecting these, as I am coveting the ones that are clearly out of my price range. Maybe someday…

_Temari_- a Japanese handcraft in which balls of thread are embroidered in detailed geometric designs. I make these as a hobby. They take a fair amount of attention to detail, as a tiny mistake in the initial measurements throws off the symmetry of the final design in a big way. To design a ball, it is measured and sectioned—there is quite a bit of geometry involved and the resulting patterns can be described algebraically. It turns out that there is a purpose for that stuff you learned in algebra! (Wish I'd known that in eighth and ninth grade.)

_Asa-_ a stylized, geometric pattern of hemp leaves often seen in traditional Japanese textiles.

_Kannuki_- the sliding pieces or keys of a box. By moving the pieces in the correct order, the box can be opened. Some boxes allow only one piece to be moved at a time, and in a particular direction. Other boxes allow multiple pieces to move, usually in both directions, which increases the difficulty of the puzzle substantially.

_Sukiya_- a traditional style of Japanese interior design. Sukiya style rooms contain tatami mats, shoji and fusuma.

_Shikake_- the secret mechanism or device within a puzzle box.

_Areto_—one of the stones traditionally used to sharpen Japanese knives. There are three of them. From roughest to finest they are: areto, aoto, shirato. I am guessing that ninja would use similar stones to whet their knives.


	35. Feet to Fire 11th Date Part 1

_Disclaimer: Naruto and associated characters are property of Masashi Kishimoto. They are not my property!_

**Fourteen Dates **

_Author's note: An almost lemon-free chapter. I figured it was time for Icha, Icha to make a reappearance, so there's a little smut there, but all in all, this chapter is pretty clean. As you will see, Sakura is not having a good day. Please be patient with her. Enjoy._

**Chapter 35: Feet to Fire—Eleventh Date, part one**

"Put me down." Sakura had grown tired of being carried piggyback by Kakashi as he moved through the heavily forested terrain of northernmost Fire. She pummeled his back in an effort to cause him at least a small amount of discomfort. "Put me _down_, Kakashi!"

"Fine." Kakashi abruptly released the kunoichi who dropped in a most graceless fashion squarely onto her rump.

"That is not what I meant!"

"But it's what you deserve, hana." He walked onward without a backward glance, causing Sakura's eyes to widen with indignation. She searched the ground for something to throw, and, locating a rock of adequate size, lobbed it at the copy ninja. Without turning around, Kakashi sidestepped the incoming missile, catching it blindly in his outstretched hand. He swiveled around and looked at Sakura amusedly.

"This is what I get for carrying you 20 kilometers? A kiss would be more appropriate, I think."

Sakura stood, ineffectively brushing a murky mixture of half-melted snow and mud from her skirt and legs. "I didn't ask you to carry me. I would have been perfectly fine walking."

"Sakura, you were clearly exhausted. And you're obviously still grumpy." She'd fallen several times, and had displayed beyond a doubt that she was not completely recovered. However, they'd traveled too far by then for it to make sense to turn around and head back to Snow. Carrying Sakura the rest of the way had seemed the most reasonable solution. Kakashi almost regretted it, despite his fainéant, patient nature. Sakura was in some mood today.

"And you're condescending, Kakashi. Why do we have to travel at this pace? Couldn't we just slow down?"

Kakashi sighed as he gathered the reserves of his patience. "We're moving quickly for the same reason we always move quickly. You never know when or where an enemy might be lurking. Best to get to our destination without delay."

Sakura couldn't argue with that, and really, she shouldn't be arguing at all. Kakashi was right. She was grumpy. She had gotten up on the wrong side of the bed, and Kakashi's announcement that they would be leaving at 6 a.m. on the dot hadn't helped things. He'd said this on waking her, at 5:45. Normally it took her a good two hours to get going in the morning. The first hour she'd spend alone, and the second might be spent with others, although in silence. Her colleagues (and even her patients, a few days after admittance) were well aware of this, and did their best to communicate with her as little as possible until she'd gotten her bearings each morning.

This morning she'd trudged into the suite's bathroom, glaring fluorescent light blinding her (how could a hotel this expensive not invest in softer lighting?), and had quickly stripped to shower, as showering was one thing that helped to get her moving, even if the time spent under the water was frustratingly short. The bathroom hadn't even had enough time to steam over by the time she stepped out in search of a towel. Of course, they were missing, and this time with good reason. She and Kakashi had spent a fair amount of time in the bathroom over the past day. The towels that lay crumpled on the floor were too soaked to be useful, but Kakashi had a likely candidate draped over his shoulders when he'd woken her up. She'd just have to retrieve it from him. She paused in profile before the bathroom door to take a critical look at herself before exiting the room. Her behind was too big, she thought, but Kakashi had said nice things about it, so she guessed its size really didn't matter. Her breasts were too small, she knew. Coupled with her current shaven state, she looked like a twelve-year old on the cusp of pubescence. How was it possible that Kakashi found her attractive? She growled at her reflection. If only she had the figure of Ino or Hinata. They weren't overwhelmingly endowed, like Tsunade, but Sakura was sure that men were immediately aware of her two friends whenever they entered a room. She had witnessed it, actually, on many occasions. If Sakura walked into a bar with either or both kunoichi, all heads turned in their direction. The same did not happen when Sakura entered alone. Well, maybe one or two heads, but not the entire bar in unison.

Sakura had left the bathroom in a mood more dour than when she'd entered, her expression eliciting a sonorous laugh from the copy-ninja, who was busy inspecting their belongings before placing them into a new backpack. He'd claimed he could see the black cloud roiling over her head. That certainly hadn't helped her mood, although she'd tried to shake it off. She hadn't complained when he'd given her only five minutes to dry her hair (a task that would normally take 30 minutes, minimum), and she'd put up with the glares and odd looks the hotel staff had given them on checkout, after being informed about the state of the door to their suite. What's more, she'd been quite content to breakfast on the run on onigiri Kakashi had somehow acquired from the hotel's kitchen. She'd broken her bad mood, she thought, until she stumbled on the trail. They'd been running for a while—she reckoned they'd gone about 30 km, and Kakashi, true to form, had pushed them onward with no more than two five minute breaks in the hour and a half they'd been running. That slave driver hadn't so much as broken a sweat. In contrast, she was drenched and panting for breath. It was no wonder she'd hit the ground and fallen right back into her earlier foul mood. She hated not measuring up, hated the ample evidence of this that had always surrounded her. Kakashi wouldn't stumble if he were blindfolded and suffering from the flu. Showing physical weakness was not something he did. This irked her to no end, she realized, although it certainly wasn't his fault.

And Kakashi was right to be concerned about her health, the medic inside told her. Sakura knew she was exhausted, as well she should be after the illness she'd endured and subsequent lack of exercise. She always got this way when pushed to her limit. She'd be close to tears hours before a coming down with a cold, and she'd be extremely irritable, to boot. The same was true when at the brink of exhaustion, but she was loath to admit this. It was a lot easier to bicker, bitch, and take out her immediate unhappiness on the nearest suitable candidate. But Kakashi didn't deserve it.

"Kakashi?"

"Yes, my little she-bear?"

"Forget it." She turned away, livid. And she'd been about to apologize.

"Sakura?" His strong hand rested on her shoulder as he moved closer to her. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"Nothing you'd understand." How could he? He was never anything less than perfect.

"Is this some type of f—" His mouth clamped shut, and his eye acquired the furtive look of someone who is almost positive he's said too much.

"Some type of what?" He did not immediately answer. "Say it, Kakashi." _If you dare._

He was actually blushing, she noticed, as he struggled to find words that would not offend. "Er, you don't normally seem this… irritable. I was just wondering if maybe it was… your time of the month?"

"What?!" Her voice echoed through the trees, dislodging a small flock of crows which noisily voiced their disapproval. "Why is it that any time a woman is feeling less than wonderful, men assume it's "female problems"? It's not my "time of the month," Kakashi. The birth control Tsunade has us take does away with monthly periods. So that lame excuse you men use to avoid responsibility for your callous comments is gone. And good riddance. Do you have any idea how denigrating it is to have a huge slice of your personality assigned by others to your _uterus_?"

Kakashi's voice was calm as he walked to a large fir and sat down in the tangled nest made by its partially exposed roots. "Well, no, Sakura, I don't, but then again, I don't have a uterus. Please, Sakura, sit down. We need to talk."

"Now we're going to take a break? What happened to getting to our destination as quickly as possible?"

"Any ninja within a 5 km radius has been alerted to our presence, Sakura. Come to think of it, they may have even heard you in Konoha. We could make a run for it, but that really wouldn't be possible, as you've refused to let me carry you. Or we can wait here, and take them on, should any enemies appear." He pulled out his canteen, and took a long swig of water. "Let me know when you want to talk." With a quick movement, he unsnapped his kunai pouch and pulled out his trusty, orange-clad friend. Books, at least, didn't wake up in completely irrational, over-the-top moods.

"May I see that for a minute?" Sakura sat down next to him, and reached her hand out toward the volume.

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because you'd probably tear off the binding and rip it to shreds, Sakura."

"No. I'm ready to talk." She leaned back against the tree's shaggy, reticulated bark and sighed.

Kakashi replaced the book in his pouch and turned to Sakura. "Will you tell me what I've done to make you so angry at me? Because this is more than run-of-the-mill, early morning grumpiness, isn't it? And whatever I've done, I'd like to fix it."

"I'm not angry at you, Kakashi."

"That's not what it seems like." He tentatively moved his hand toward hers and was relieved when she did not swat it away. Rather, she clasped it in her own and sighed again.

"I'm angry at myself for being inferior to you."

"Inferior? You're joking, right?" One look at Sakura's face told him otherwise. She was furious again, but also close to tears. She bumped her head repeatedly against the tree behind her as she struggled to control her emotions. When she spoke, her voice was almost a whisper.

"I don't understand what you see in me. Why would someone like you even tolerate me, let alone be in love with me? It doesn't make sense. I see pretty clearly just who I am and what I am, and I see even more clearly who and what you are. And the two don't match, Kakashi. There's no comparison." She was crying now, and even angrier with herself for demonstrating so clearly the inferiority of which she spoke.

Kakashi looked at Sakura for a few moments, then silently drew her to him and kissed her gently. "Lie down," he said, beckoning to her to lay her head in his lap. She did so, and he caressed her hair as he spoke to her. She was an angel, he thought, with her delicate features, otherworldly eyes and dawn-blushed corona fanned out around her face-- an angel with an absolutely demonic temper.

"What brought this on, Sakura? Me carrying you? Falling?"

She nodded miserably. "Both."

"In what way are you inferior to me?"

"In every way I can think of, Kakashi." He looked in her eyes, and saw that she felt her words to be the truth.

"Such as…?"

"Physically, obviously. You have the stamina of a category five hurricane. You're a genius at ninjutsu, and taijutsu… and genjutsu."

"Naruto has the stamina of a hurricane, Sakura. Not me. And I have another person's eye. That explains most of my so-called genius."

"It explains the ninjutsu, sure. Although I think that even without the Sharingan you'd be at the same level. How old were you when you made jounin?"

"It explains the other techniques, too. Genjutsu can be copied. And I wouldn't be as good at taijutsu without the Sharingan to help me see more clearly."

"Except you usually don't use it in battle. So your skills are your own. Really, there's no need for false modesty."

"I don't think I've ever been accused of false modesty before."

"That's not surprising, considering how completely laconic you are. No one could accuse you of false modesty, because no one ever has a clue what it is you're thinking about. Apart from porn."

"Which should tell you something, shouldn't it?"

"About what? Your love of literature?"

"I've opened up to you, Sakura. You're the only one. You must be pretty special for that to have happened." He ran his index finger along her lip, savoring its petal softness. "Okay. I'll give you that I'm superior to you in those three areas. So what? You're superior to me in so many other ways. You're stronger than I am. You're smarter than I am."

Sakura snorted. "I am not smarter than you. No way."

"You're more _intelligent_ than me, then. I grant that I may be a quicker thinker, but you understand things more deeply. You're also the most gifted medical specialist Konoha has ever known. Your jutsu are on a completely different level than any other medic, with the exception of Tsunade. I have basically no medical jutsu, and even if I were to use my Sharingan on you, I wouldn't be able to pick them up, because they're dependent on something at which you greatly surpass me—chakra control. Your ability at chakra control was similar to mine when you were _twelve_, Sakura. I was twenty-six then. I'm sure you'd surpassed me by the time you were thirteen."

"Hmmph."

"Is that "hmmph" because you don't agree with me or because I wasn't there to be surpassed by you?"

She didn't answer.

He suddenly understood.

"I should have been there, Sakura. I made a stupid decision when I decided to train Sasuke. I was serving only my own ego, though I didn't see it at the time. He seemed most like me in temperament and ability, and I read too much into that. I was still pretty green as a teacher, and I made a rookie mistake. It's easy to think you're a good teacher when you focus only on the ones that will make you look good with minimal effort. That's what I did, and in the process, I completely underestimated you and Naruto. You more than Naruto."

"I know. But you continued his training. You pretty much wrote me off, apart from the missions we all did together. And Team Kakashi was at Tsunade's behest, not yours."

"Sakura. Stop for just a moment and listen. Please. Not so long ago, you accused me of turning white into black. Isn't it possible that you're doing the same thing here? I take responsibility for what I did to you. I underestimated you, because you were a girl, and I didn't understand you. You seemed like another species to me, with your own rituals and language and way of interacting. I just didn't get you. My gut reaction to you was that you were a person to protect, someone to keep out of the line of fire. When push came to shove, that's always what happened. I didn't see you as someone with talents to harness and mold. I _did_ completely write you off, and I shouldn't have done so. I'm sorry for that, Sakura. I'm sorry that it contributed to feelings you've been carrying around all this time. But I always cared about you. Always. I love you, Sakura, and I always have."

"It's hard not being as good as you or the others, Kakashi. You--" Tears were in her eyes again. It was difficult to hear him say what she'd always known to be true, that he'd thought her to be less than her teammates.

"Let me finish, Sakura. When you and Naruto did the second bell test, you completely blew me away. I should have told you then. I saw the incredible shinobi you'd become and I realized you'd done it without my help—and that you could have, should have done it with my help. I realized you were well on your way to becoming a jounin, and that as a teammate, you would be my equal. I stopped underestimating you that day. I truly began to see you differently."

"But Team Kakashi wasn't your idea, was it?"

"No, Sakura, but does it matter? Most of my ideas revolve around finding a quiet place to read. I hadn't thought of reconstituting our team, but I was glad when Tsunade suggested it."

"Why would you want someone who was clearly a liability on your team? I was completely outclassed by you and Naruto. Admit it."

Kakashi sighed. "You haven't been listening. All shinobi—all of us have unique abilities—as individuals and also by sex. We each fit in, but in different ways. That's what made Naruto and you and me a good team—the fact that we complemented each other. Sakura, it's your compassion and your openness that make you a good medic. So does the fact that you cry easily. It means you have empathy. Maybe that's not the best attribute for the battlefield, but it doesn't mean you are any less important, or any less talented than someone who focuses on fighting hand to hand. In some ways it makes you even more important. What good is it to be a shinobi if your mind and body remain ravaged after an attack? I know that I'd be nothing without your skills."

Sakura turned her head to avoid his eyes, only to feel the gentle pressure of Kakashi's gloved hands as he reversed her movement and gazed into the deep green irises that had entranced him for years. "I think the thing that you're forgetting is that there's always someone better. Each of us will be surpassed. I was surpassed by Naruto when he was fifteen. Remember what he was like at fifteen? Still a total blockhead. It was humbling. But it's a good thing for a student to surpass his teacher. You've surpassed Tsunade, and our village has benefited. And someday, you'll be surpassed, like it or not."

"There's another reason for me to feel inferior."

"Hmm?"

"You're always right." She half smiled.

"I lived a little bit longer than you." Kakashi leaned down to kiss Sakura, then pulled out his book again. He didn't open it immediately, however, as a sudden thought distracted him.

"You know, Sakura, we talked about this once before. About me not being your sensei. I tried to apologize to you, but you said that things ended up the way they did because Tsunade's skills were a better match for yours."

"I know I said that. And it's true, to an extent, but not completely. When Sasuke left, and then Naruto left to train with Jiraiya, I kept waiting for you to come to me, to at least tell me that you didn't want to be my teacher any more. But you never did. So I went to Tsunade and told myself it was for the best. And then when Team Kakashi was formed, I was so happy to be with the two of you again, that it made it even worse when you took him on as student again."

He kissed her again, then wiped away the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes. "I'm sorry I hurt you, hana. I wish I'd known this a long time ago." At the moment, he felt he was as clueless as Naruto when it came to women. He wondered about Sakura's capacity to love and forgive. It seemed more immense than he'd ever realized. She'd come to him, despite how he'd treated her, in her times of greatest need. She'd opened herself to him when she'd ended things with Sasuke and when she'd lost her parents, each time seeking reassurance and comfort. He'd been there for her, in a minimal way, but then he'd abandoned her, tearing her as surely as if he'd used a kunai. How was it that she was still able to love _him_?

"It's okay, Kakashi. I think I understand, now." She took a deep breath and smiled, though not with her eyes. "Shouldn't we be going?"

"Why don't you relax for a little bit? You're still tired, aren't you? I don't think you're up for the run."

"Yes, but…"

"I'll know if someone's approaching, long before they find us. Don't worry." He held the book inches away from his face, as his idle hand continued to caress Sakura's hair.

"Read to me. Please?"

"I'm a bit ahead of where we left off, I think. Where were we exactly?"

She sniffled. "I think Jinrai was about to do Midori for the first time."

"'Do'? You talk like a sailor, Sakura."

"What would you call it?"

"Well… I'd call it 'do', too, but that's a little different."

"Why?" She pushed his book aside so she could watch him squirm.

He looked at her and shook his head. There was no way he was willing to light the fuse she'd just set before him. "Fine. 'Do' it is." He paged through the book to find the appropriate passage. "Here we are."

_Jinrai lowered her to the ground, tearing off her ruined garment as he did so. He caressed her bruised flesh gently, and honored her with passionate kisses. He'd make her forget her pain, for a while, at least. She deserved nothing less. He rained kisses as gentle as hummingbird wings along her jawline, then moved lower to caress her exquisite collarbones. She was so fragile, her bones so small, yet she moved, he noticed, with the grace of a strong-boned panther._ _She almost purred in her passion, her marvelous green-gold eyes half-closed._

"_What are you waiting for?" she asked, offering herself to him. She didn't need to ask twice. Jinrai moved closer to her, and lowered his lips to her breast, suckling at one, while teasing the other with his highly skilled fingertips. She moaned softly as the apex of each half-globe hardened under his ministrations._

Sakura smiled as she felt Kakashi's idle hand slide from her hair to the zipper that held her shirt closed. He unfastened it slowly, then traced his finger over the fabric of her bra.

"You bought that one? Good girl. I can't wait to take it off you."

"Read, Kakashi."

_For just a moment, Jinrai hesitated. This was a friend's niece—a paying client's niece. She was so young, and clearly emotionally wounded. This wasn't something he could do. He sat up and buried his face in his hands._

"_Midori—" his voice was husky with desire._

"_Please. You don't understand. I need you. Just this once. No one needs to know." He saw the burning urgency in her eyes, and something within him snapped. In a moment, he was inside of her, feeling the searing heat of her flesh against his, her raging desire matched only by his own._

Kakashi licked his finger, then slipped it back inside Sakura's shirt, this time pushing the bra away to expose her skin. He felt her tissues tighten immediately at his touch.

"I thought you wanted me to rest."

"You're the one who asked me to read. Do you really think I could resist touching you while reading this?"

"You're the one with the supposedly infinite reserve of willpower, Kakashi. Are you really saying you couldn't resist me if you tried?"

He moved his book aside and noticed, with a feeling of relief and pleasure, the renewed sparkle in her eyes. She was tricky, appealing to his competitive spirit. This was Gai's method. Kakashi had said "yes" to far too many inane contests as a result of such maneuvers. Yet he picked up the rope again.

"What do I get if I win?"

"Anything you like."

"And if I lose?"

"Anything _I_ like. Maybe I'll have you do housework naked."

"You know, Sakura, we already have another bet going. Are you ready to lose twice in a row?"

"Your cockiness will be your downfall, Hatake." She smiled sweetly at him. "Read, please."

_Jinrai had been with many women—many, many women, but there was something special about the first time with a lover. His eyes drank in the subtle curve of Midori's hips, and the more pronounced curve of her breasts. His hands memorized the feel of her satin-velvet, ivory-pale skin, and his nose imprinted her fragrance, redolent of mock-orange and ylang-ylang. Though scratched, even mud-splattered, she was a deity in his eyes. _

_She rocked against him, eyes closed._

"_Love me," she cried. "Make me forget."_

_He did his best to appease her, matching her rhythm with his own until he brought her to the brink of total exhilaration._

"Sakura?"

"Hmm?"

"What are you doing?"

"Just settling in a bit. Getting more comfortable. Continue, please. I can't wait to find out what happens next."

"Two can play at this game, you know."

"I don't think so, Kakashi. There's really no way I can lose."

He lifted up his hitae-ate. "Don't be so sure about that."

Sakura looked in awe at the Sharingan that he'd set spinning slowly. Even now, years later, she realized she was still a bit afraid of it. "You wouldn't! That would be cheating!"

"I think not. We didn't set any guidelines, and hypnotizing you would be a very easy way to make sure you didn't try anything."

"Fine! _Fine_. I'll stop if you stop."

"Deal." Kakashi smiled to himself as he resumed reading. Her presence continued to distract him, however. Something as simple as the warmth and pressure of her head against his thighs aroused him almost uncontrollably. Coupled with the text he was reading, he had little doubt how things would end.

He snapped the book shut abruptly. "We need to go."

"Why?" She looked at him suspiciously for a moment. Then her eyes widened. "Did you sense something?"

"Yes." That wasn't quite a lie. He'd sensed plenty in the past few minutes.

"I really don't think I can run, Kakashi."

"Carrying you isn't the worst burden I've ever shouldered. It's only ten more kilometers to the ryokan." He stood and quickly replaced Icha, Icha in his kunai pouch. "Hop on."

…o…o…o…o…

"We can't go in there looking like this." Sakura peered out from behind a tree at the hotel complex that lay nestled at the bottom of the hill on which they stood.

"Good. You remembered." Kakashi removed his hitae ate and vest, and dug in the pack for his jacket. "You'll need to change, too. You have mud all over your rear end and legs, you know."

"Really? What exactly should I wear? Those panties you picked out for me? A nightgown? You know full well I have nothing else to wear." Sakura glared at him as she grabbed the pack, rummaging until she located a washcloth. She wet it and set to work rubbing at the stains running down the back of her legs, then turned her skirt back to front to scrub at the cloth. "Maybe they won't notice," she muttered to herself. "At least it's black."

She looked up to see Kakashi transformed into the dark-haired man who'd called himself Jinrai Taiheya. Sakura's anger dissipated immediately at she gazed at him. It wasn't that he was more handsome as Jinrai. It was just that the change in his coloration made her more aware of how remarkably gorgeous he was each and every day. He needed an eyepatch, though. Sakura removed her medical kit from the pack and rummaged through it, finding white tape and an oval of gauze. She caressed his skin as she applied the patch, then kissed him squarely and firmly on the mouth.

_Her mood is all over the place. She must really be exhausted. It can't be much past 9 a.m., but I feel like I've been through the ringer._

Kakashi linked his arm through hers and they slowly descended the hill to the inn.

_You, my darling, sorely need a nap._


	36. Feet to Fire 11th Date Part 2

_Disclaimer: Naruto and associated characters are property of Masashi Kishimoto. They are not my property!_

**Fourteen Dates **

_Author's note: A lot happens in this chapter, but I tried to take my time unfolding things, so I hope it doesn't feel rushed. I've been looking forward to writing this one and the next, and I hope they will not disappoint. I mentioned in an earlier author's note that I am planning a second KakaSaku story. It will not be a sequel, and it possibly will be as long as this story. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not. Because the storyline for the next KakaSaku fic has been buzzing around my head, I went ahead and wrote and posted the first chapter of the new story. It is called _A Book of Five Rings (Go Rin No Sho)._ I'd love to hear what you think of it! I will be focusing mainly on Fourteen Dates until it is complete, however. I just wanted to give you a taste of what's next._

_Thank you again to everyone who has taken the time to leave reviews about this story. They have done me a world of good—both as a new writer trying to polish my skills and as someone getting through what has possibly been the most difficult year of my life. Your words make a difference._

**Chapter 36: Feet to Fire—Eleventh Date, part two**

Kakashi looked tenderly at Sakura's sleeping form. He had been right, as usual-- she'd desperately needed a nap. On arriving at their suite, he'd convinced her to take a bath in the heated spa outside of the bathroom. He'd joined her, and had sat behind her, massaging her neck, shoulders and arms until she'd nearly dropped off in his arms. He'd lifted the somnolent kunoichi out of the pool and tenderly dried her off, placing her naked onto the futon on which she now lay, and covering her up with the kimono-shaped kakebuton that served as bedding. Despite the fact that they were 60 kilometers south of Yukigakure, it was still rather chilly in this part of Fire. He'd been careful not to wet her hair as they'd bathed. The last thing she needed was a cold.

Kakashi lifted back the brocade-edged sudare that hung before the window and gazed at the sky. It was close to noon—he'd been watching Sakura sleep for the past two hours. It was easy to do so. He doubted he'd ever tire of looking at her, even as they grew older. It wasn't just her beauty that entranced him-- there was so much more to the woman by his side. A peacefulness emanated from her as she slept—something he rarely picked up on during waking hours. Right now she looked fragile, as though cast from fine porcelain. It was hard to reconcile this impression with the incredible strength he knew she was able to harness. Like all kunoichi, Sakura was tough, and as with most kunoichi, it was hard to see this strength at first glance. Underestimation by others, after all, was the key weapon for a kunoichi, especially when dealing with non-shinobi. For someone as petite and seemingly mild as Sakura to unleash the power of her chakra-laden fists was always a surprise. He smiled as he remembered the shock and wonder he'd felt the first time he'd fallen victim to her forceful punch.

Sakura, he realized, had missed a key lesson somewhere along the way: one's greatest weakness can also be one's greatest strength. Yes, she'd been underestimated. But it was also true that as a woman she would continue to be underestimated. Why not use that to her advantage? Kakashi chuckled. She'd so wanted to be like the boys that _she'd_ underestimated herself, as well. She didn't seem to understand that her femininity was a tremendous resource. _He_ certainly valued it.

It had been a difficult morning, and Kakashi looked forward to a more straightforward afternoon. He'd been anxiously waiting for Sakura to open the puzzle box, as he wanted so much to ask her to be his wife. He had created a few scenarios in his mind of just how she'd react when she saw the twin rings. In the first, she gasped with delight, and turned to him as her eyes filled up with tears, a tremor in her voice as she softly said "yes." In the second, she tackled him with her enthusiasm, and kissed him passionately. It turned into a more regular Kakashi fantasy from there. He smiled as he indulged himself for a moment, then frowned. Reality, to his dismay, did not seem to be approaching either of these scenarios, as in real life she hadn't made much headway with the puzzle. To be honest, this wasn't her fault. She hadn't really tried to solve it, but he was equally to blame, distracted as they both had been by each other's presence. He reached into their shared pack and located the small, inlaid box, then set it atop a note he'd scrawled. He brushed her lips lightly with her own, then stood and silently left their suite. He was absolutely ravenous, and had a lot to accomplish before she awakened.

The concierge, Kakashi noticed as he entered the lobby, was the same elderly man who had been so helpful on their first visit to the ryokan. Kakashi bowed to him and thanked him profusely (for Kakashi, that is) for his help during their last visit and after. The man had secured for them the very same room they'd stayed in previously, and on entering their room, Kakashi and Sakura had found their belongings waiting for them, just as Kakashi had left them.

"It is only my job, Taiheya-san. Your fiancée is well, I trust? I have been very concerned about her and have left offerings and lit incense for her every day."

"Yes, she is much better, though still not one hundred percent. She's tired and needs to rest. I had hoped to take her someplace this afternoon where she might be surrounded by beauty. Someplace isolated and natural, but close by. She loves the woods, and flowers—"

"Mizuhiki!" The concierge's eyes sparkled as he exclaimed.

"Dogwood? Isn't it too early for them to be in flower? In our village, they don't bloom until late June."

"That is true of our native tree, _kousa_. But we have a grove planted years ago by a botanist

who acquired them from the most western edge of rock country. They are blooming right now. They're on private land, but I know the owner—the botanist I spoke of. You'll be completely alone—he's off collecting plants in Mist, I think. It's decided then?" The concierge clapped his hands together in anticipation. "I'll have the kitchen prepare you a bento. Leave everything to me—you won't be disappointed. Will three o'clock work for you?"

_Well, that takes care of this afternoon_, Kakashi thought, as he settled onto a zabuton in the ryokan's dining room. _I thought I'd have my hands full. _He lifted the lid on his bowl of miso soup and tucked in with relish. It certainly was good to be back in Fire, eating familiar food. It was funny how certain foods seemed to be the very definition of comfort. This was almost his perfect meal, though they were too far from the ocean for saury to be on the menu, and it was still far too early for nasu. Gohan and miso soup would do nicely, however.

Kakashi autographed (as Jinrai Taiheya, of course) the slip of paper brought to him precisely as he finished his meal, then strolled to the restaurant's street exit. It wasn't far to the video store he'd visited their first time here. It should be good for at least an hour's browsing. He'd then go back to Sakura, and wake her gently, leaving plenty of time for her to acclimate before setting out on their picnic. He'd learned his lesson about her aversion to sudden changes just after awakening, and the black moods that could easily result from mishandling. She was a bit like a tagged kunai, really, needing careful handling and attention to detail. But, as with tagged kunai, the benefits of keeping her by his side were certainly worth it. She was as brilliant as any explosion, and far more exciting.

Kakashi parted the noren shading the video store and saw the proprietor look up from the catalog he perused. The man smiled immediately.

"I recognize you!" This was typically not what a visitor wanted to hear when entering a store of this type, but Kakashi took it in stride. "And how were the _Icha, Icha_ videos?"

Kakashi shrugged. "Pretty much as I expected. True to the book." _The best movie I've ever seen._ He headed to a shelf stocked with videos and pulled out a case to survey its cover. He'd seen it, though he didn't quite remember the plot. The cover had served to remind him that there were other, more memorable assets in this particular film. He sighed as he scanned through the other titles on this shelf. He'd seen them all, in Konoha's local theater, or while on the road. Moreover, he doubted he'd be able to convince Sakura to watch any of them with him. Even the Icha, Icha ones he already owned would be a stretch, although she'd admitted to liking the volume they'd been sharing. There really was nothing here worth purchasing. He turned to the proprietor, who was looking at him quizzically. "Is there a book store in this village?"

"Depends on what you're looking for, really. There's one just down the road, but it sells… family-oriented literature." He noted Kakashi's crestfallen look, then reached under the counter and pulled out a thick, plain-bound book. "I do have something you might find interesting, however." Kakashi slouched over to the counter and picked up the book. It fell open to the frontispiece, which held an incredibly detailed and accurate black and white drawing of… Sakura? He looked more closely at the drawing. There was no doubt that it was she. Jiraiya had captured certain aspects of her figure that Kakashi had been sure only he was aware of.

"What exactly is this?" He wasn't sure if he should feel titillated or offended. Surprisingly, he found that he felt a mixture of both.

"My cousin works for the publishing house that puts out the _Icha, Icha_ series. This is a galley of the latest book—its working title is _Icha, Icha Teisatsu_. They weren't expecting his next book for another six months, so they were a bit surprised when the manuscript arrived, but Jiraiya claimed that the muse had inspired him—"

Kakashi interrupted gruffly. "How much do you want for it?"

"Well, as I was saying, it's an early galley-- a publisher's copy for proofreading and such. The actual book won't be out for months, and as you can see, the illustrations are still in black and white. Still, I'd say 3,000 would be fair, considering the trouble my cousin went to in acquiring it…"

Kakashi retrieved his wallet and pulled out his remaining cash. He had 2,800 left, the last of the money Tsunade had sent. Of course, he had emergency funds sewn into the lining of his jounin vest, but the store owner didn't need to know about that. "Here's all I have. Do we have a deal?"

The proprietor handed Kakashi the volume with a wide smile. "I can tell you're a big fan. I had a feeling you'd be back, so I saved it for you." Kakashi didn't hear, however. He was halfway out the door by the time the man had finished speaking, in search of a secluded bench where he might sit and read for a while. He didn't dare go back to the ryokan—if Sakura saw the book, he was sure she would flip, particularly after the experience of being surveilled by her neighbor. There was no way she knew anything about this book, he thought as he flipped through the tome, examining its many illustrations. She never would have posed for drawings such as these. They were quite graphic, although the most detailed ones did not depict any sex acts, per se. They had in common the fact that in each drawing Sakura was alone and fully naked, whether bathing, standing near a window, or lying atop a bed. They were such as might be drawn by a voyeur, and Kakashi had no doubt that this was how Jiraiya had obtained him. She'd mentioned a visit to the sannin, he remembered, when she'd given Kakashi the previous volume of Icha, Icha. That must have been when this had happened.

He couldn't let the book be published, he realized, but there was no reason he could think of that precluded him from reading the copy he held in his hands. He still had some time before he needed to return to the inn to wake up the real Sakura. What better way to spend a beautiful spring afternoon?

He began reading and immediately laughed aloud. As usual, the main character was a silver-haired man. Jiraiya couldn't resist casting himself in the lead, it seemed. But Kakashi found, as he read on, that this man appeared to be a bit younger than typical. And his name was _Toriodoshi Hojou_? Those were synonyms for scarecrow and field, respectively. Had Jiraiya remembered the drunken monologue Kakashi had given many years before, in which he'd obliquely mentioned his feelings for Sakura, or was this Tsunade's work? Their on-again, off-again relationship must be on-again, he realized-- hence Jiraiya's decision to model the female lead on someone other than Tsunade. He paged ahead. As if to drive the point home, as if the spot-on drawings weren't enough, the female's name was Danki Ume. As there was no synonym for "cherry blossom," the author-illustrator had gone with "plum". "Fine work, Jiraiya. Subtle as usual," Kakashi drawled sarcastically. Just when was he planning on publishing? Hopefully not before Kakashi could get to him, or the press, whichever was more expedient.

Once he got past the shock of he and his future wife being portrayed in a novel that would likely be topping the best-seller list, Kakashi found himself engrossed by the text, and even more so by the illustrations. The way the drawn "Ume" held her head was just exactly the way Sakura held hers, and the arms lifted over her head had the same graceful curve that Sakura's had displayed as she'd lifted her hair off her neck while entering the bath this afternoon. Even the damp tendrils clustered on her neck were a perfect match. And the perfect curve of her breasts-- Kakashi snapped the book shut. What was he doing sitting out here reading about Jiraiya's fantasies of his lover, when the real thing was only steps away?

…o…o…o…o…

Sakura woke slowly and lay for a while in complete relaxation, as narrow bands of bamboo-filtered light flickered across her face. It must be two or three, she surmised, based on the quality of light entering the room. The suite itself was perfectly quiet, and the only sounds she could hear were the whispered conversations of the softly swaying fir trees that sat on the ridge surrounding the inn. She was still tired, but definitely more rested than she'd been this morning. It puzzled her that just a few kilometers of running had so thoroughly exhausted her. Hopefully, Kakashi would be amenable to training with her for the next few days. She desperately needed to get back into condition.

"Kakashi?" Apparently he wasn't here, and that was just as well. She didn't want to reprise this morning's events, and as always, she needed a little time to herself. She rolled over and saw the puzzle box and the note it sat atop. The note was mostly illegible, but she could make out "himitsu bako," and "back by mid-afternoon." Wisely, he hadn't written an exact time. She knew he considered mid-afternoon any time between one and six p.m.: this way he could be back when promised. Apparently he wanted to avoid rankling her further.

"Smart man," she said softly as she rose from the bed in search of her backpack. It was in the room next door, she found. She quickly unpacked it, eager to finally wear something other than the black skirt and matching skirt she'd worn in Snow and on the journey back. She settled on the chartreuse dress she'd worn once before, then returned back to the other bedroom to collect her new underthings. She had a surprise in store for Kakashi. After a bit of cajoling, Noriko had convinced her to purchase the Alençon lace-embellished set she'd been pushing on her. Sakura unwrapped the elaborately folded washi paper that Noriko had packaged the garments in and tried them on. They were the exact same color of her hair, and like her hair, set off her skin dramatically. She was sure Kakashi would be tickled to see her wearing something so impractical as this. She hadn't owned any pink clothing (or any other item, for that matter) since she was thirteen. She'd decided around then that the color was too girly, too feminine. It was bad enough to be saddled with hair that caused people to refer to her as a doll or a valentine—she hadn't wanted to encourage such statements. Somehow, though, she felt differently now. Despite their pink color, she'd listened to Noriko and bought the two items, although she'd said no to the matching garter belt, seeing absolutely no use for it. She second guessed that decision now. Noriko did seem to know her stuff, and Sakura realized there was nothing more she wanted than to please the copy ninja. It wasn't just that she was in love with him. He did something to her—he made her feel sexual, wanted, wanton. She loved how she felt every time he touched her. She craved him, she realized.

Sakura smiled as she slipped her dress on and looked at herself in the full-length mirror secured to one of the sliding closet doors. She actually had cleavage. She traversed the hall to the bathroom directly across from her former bedroom and set out her toiletries and makeup. Just a touch of blush and mascara was all she wore on the rare occasions when she did decide to wear makeup. Today however, she put a bit more effort into her toilette, lining her upper lid with a smudge of moss green, and applying a touch of cherry pink lipstick.

Now came the waiting, a fundamental aspect of any interaction involving Kakashi. Sakura returned to the bedroom she would be sharing with her lover (there was no question about that, despite the presence of an extra bedroom in the suite) and retrieved the himitsu bako, then settled herself in a sunny patch of the courtyard adjacent to the bathroom. She quickly made headway with the puzzle, although there was no way of telling how close she was to completing it. She'd slid 15 kannuki so far, three of them twice. For a box this small, she'd guess she was at the half-way point, but knowing Kakashi, he'd probably purchased the most complicated one the vendor had. It was funny how he still lapsed into teacher-mode occasionally, but then, old habits did die hard.

"Working hard, I see." She looked up to see Kakashi smiling at her. "For a moment, I thought you'd left. Then I thought to look outside."

"Where would I go?" She looked down at the puzzle which had confounded her yet again. Kakashi took the box from her and turned it over in his hands.

"Looks like you're about a third of the way there." He'd memorized it with his Sharingan, apparently.

"Oh. Just a third? So it has 60 keys?" She looked at him and frowned. "Just why are you so eager for me to unlock it? There's obviously nothing inside."

"Have you had any challenges lately, Sakura?" There he was, lapsing into teacher mode again. Sakura bit her tongue to keep from laughing.

"Have you, Kaka-sensei? Not since you were a teenager, I'd wager."

"You'll never win a bet against me, love. Actually, you've been quite a challenge, recently."

"Sorry about that." She suddenly realized she hadn't properly apologized for her behavior that morning.

"We all perform at less than our best when on the brink of exhaustion. There's no need to apologize." He smiled as he reached out his hand. "Are you up for a very short walk? There's some place I'd like to take you."

It wasn't far to the land-holding the concierge had described, and soon Kakashi and Sakura approached the oversized, wrought iron gate that restricted access to the property. The Sharingan-user produced the key and pushed the unlocked gate open, noting how smoothly it moved on its hinges. Apart from the gate itself, there was nothing spectacular about the property at first glance, but this was probably by design. The presence of the locked gate itself suggested visitors were not normally welcome here. As the couple moved several meters down a narrow, bark chip-covered path, their senses were overcome by a heady mix of floral scents and vivid colors. In the dappled shade provided by the tall, coniferous canopy was a field of bluebells, its blooms nodding randomly in the gentle spring breeze. Climbing through the understory were native clematis, on the verge of blooming, and vigorous Wistaria, which threatened to overpower the redbuds and witch hazels they used as support.

"This is…amazing." Sakura's voice was soft with delight and wonder. Kakashi released the henge jutsu as she spoke, quickly fading into his usual, silver-haired self.

"It's all ours for the afternoon. Keep walking. Our picnic is up ahead, or so I was told." They quickly came upon the grove of mizuhiki the concierge had praised, and the dinner-laden blanket spread under one of the largest specimens. The concierge had promised bento, but this was much more, a kaiseki meal, from the looks of it. Kakashi knelt across from Sakura and stopped her as she began to lift the lids off the numerous lacquer and porcelain containers.

"Let me serve you." He poured her a cup of sake, then found two small, square plates and lifted the lid off what he assumed was the first course, sushi. As they were some distance from the ocean, the sushi was made of local offerings: apart from the sake rolls that Kakashi prized, there was fried and stuffed tofu, crayfish, and tamago sushi, as well as nigiri-zushi that layered raw beef over rice.

Sakura devoured the food on her plate mere minutes after being handed it. She hadn't eaten since 6 a.m., after all, and it was now well past three. Once she'd polished off the last of her sushi, she turned to Kakashi and looked at him curiously. "Why are we here?"

"On Earth? Damned if I know. To live our lives fully, I guess."

"You know that's not what I meant. Why are we here, having a picnic?"

"I wanted to make it up to you, since the last one turned out so poorly."

She still couldn't fully remember the events of that day. She recalled only glimpses—some quite pleasant, others mortifying.

"Well, you've really outdone yourself."

"I'd love to take credit, but I can't. The concierge set everything up."

"Hmm."

"Still hungry?" Sakura nodded, and Kakashi set out several small dishes that comprised the second course. There were fiddleheads braised in soy sauce, sato imo cut into elegant hexagons and served in dashi, tiny quail eggs lying in nests of fried somen noodles, and miso-dressed asparagus, as well as iwana no kotsu-sake—a local fish browned, then steeped in hot sake.

"Everything is so elegant," Sakura said softly. The worst of her hunger satisfied, she savored the dishes Kakashi set before her, taking tiny bites of each to compare the composition of textures and flavors the chef had assembled.

Eventually, they finished, and set to work on the final dishes—the traditional third course of miso soup, rice and pickles. Sakura found she wasn't hungry, though she finished her rice out of politeness ingrained at an early age. Kakashi on the other hand, had no qualms about relieving her of her uneaten miso soup. He sighed contentedly when he finished.

"I really don't understand how you stay so slim."

"You should talk. Sakura, come sit by me." Kakashi looked up his self-appointed task of clearing away the dinner dishes and placing them into a hamper that had been set behind the closest tree.

"Do I have to sit? I think I'd rather lie down."

"As long as you're next to me."

Sakura used Kakashi's lap as a pillow as she lay down perpendicular to his body. She had a marvelous view, she realized—not only of Kakashi's warm gaze as he smiled down at her, but also of the starlike dogwood flowers that hovered above them both in a dark green sky. She could lose herself in the beauty that surrounded her. The riverside park had been similar, she suddenly realized. An image flashed into her mind of pale pink petals falling slowly to the ground, like falling stars. She'd been sitting with Kakashi, not lying on his lap, of course, but she'd felt comfortable nonetheless. What had they been talking about? The memory seemed serious. She reached for the details but failed to grasp them.

"Why don't you work on that puzzle for a while?"

"Oh. I didn't think to bring it. It's sitting on the dresser next to my backpack." She paused for a moment, and looked at him quizzically. "You really do have a one track mind, you know."

"There are advantages to being able to maintain a singular focus, you know."

"Such as?"

"I believe you've already experienced some of them."

Sakura blushed scarlet. How could the man turn the simplest of comments into a sexual innuendo?

"You're so beautiful when you're embarrassed." He leaned down to kiss her, then ran his hand over her décolletage. "I forgot to tell you earlier how devastatingly gorgeous you look this afternoon." He caught a glimpse of pink peeking out from the neckline of her dress. "What's this?" A devilish smile accompanied the words.

"A surprise. Make love to me and see for yourself."

"Un, zehi. But not yet. We need to talk first."

Sakura heard an unfamiliar tone in his voice. She sat up quickly as she tried to place it. It wasn't anger, or frustration, but there was an urgency to it. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing, nothing is wrong. Far from it." He took her hand in his own and looked into her eyes. "Sakura, I can't imagine you not being in my life. You're everything to me. You realize that, don't you?"

She didn't respond. Her body felt frozen, paralyzed.

"You know that I've never loved anyone but you."

_Yes, he said that in the hospital. But… _Sakura's mind spun as a fresh image manifested itself in her mind. She was sitting with Kakashi on a park bench and they were talking… about love. Sakura's eyes glazed over as the memory replayed itself.

'_Kakashi, have you ever been in love?'_

_A long silence, and then, 'Yes.'_

'_Will you tell me about her?'_

'_What would you like to know?'_

'_Why did you love her? How did you know you were in love?'_

'_Why did I love her?' His words slowed. 'Let's see. She was... smart as a whip, kind and generous to a fault, but a bit prickly. Completely industrious, a perfectionist, the type of person who trusted completely once she bestowed her trust, and the type of person who deserved your trust. She put her whole self into every thing she did. She committed fully and completely to the things she cared about. She was passionate, in every sense of the word. Hot tempered, but also so very loving. Not the type of person to hold back.'_

"Sakura? Sakura?" Kakashi was looking at her with concern. "Is everything okay?"

She didn't answer, as she couldn't hear him. The memory continued to play out and she focused fully on it, memorizing each word.

'_Wow. She sounds special.' _

'_Yes. Definitely.'_

'_And how did you know you were in love?'_

'_It crept up on me. We were friends first, and slowly I began to see her differently. I knew all of those things about her already, and I already loved her because of them, but slowly, things changed until suddenly I saw that I was incomplete without her.'_

"You don't look well. Do you need to rest?"

"Kakashi." Her voice was almost inaudible, but her eyes showed the kindling of a growing fury. "Why are you lying to me?"

Glossary:

Sudare- a traditional, brocade edged bamboo blind.

Mizuhiki-- dogwood. The Japanese dogwood, _Cornus kousa_, typically blooms in late May at the earliest, through June and even July, depending on latitude. _Cornus nuttalii_, a native of the Pacific Northwest United States, blooms much earlier. Apparently they have _Cornus nuttalii_ in the most western regions of Rock country.

Gohan- cooked rice

Saury- a small fish, often broiled, that is one of Kakashi's most favorite dishes.

Nasu- Japanese eggplant, another Kakashi favorite

Teisatsu- Reconnaissance

Danki- spring

Washi- handmade paper traditionally used to wrap gifts

Kaiseki- a formal Japanese meal in which many small servings of different foods, each artfully arranged, are served

Tamagi- egg

Nigiri zushi- sushi in which a piece of sashimi (or raw shrimp or beef) is laid across hand molded sushi rice

Sato imo- a potato like member of the taro family

Somen- very thin wheat noodles


	37. Feet to Fire 11th Date Part 3

_Disclaimer: Naruto and associated characters are property of Masashi Kishimoto. They are not my property!_

**Fourteen Dates **

_Author's note: I thought that last chapter would stir people up, and apparently I was correct. Thanks for all of the reviews! Because so many of you commented, I was inspired to find the time to get this next chapter written ahead of my anticipated schedule. (It still took the normal amount of time to write, mind you-- so please don't ask me about the current condition of my house, yard, or the contract work that I'll be up all night completing... But thank you for providing me with a convenient excuse to procrastinate!) If the last chapter was the frying pan, here's the fire. Poor Kakashi just can't win. But that's one of his defining features, isn't it?_

**Chapter 37: Feet to Fire—11****th**** Date, part 3**

"Nani?" Kakashi looked incredulously at Sakura. Here he was, in the midst of proposing to her, and she accuses him of lying to her? He had decided it couldn't wait. It didn't matter that she hadn't found the rings—they were only a token, anyway, just a sign of his affection. The hour had seemed perfect. She was flushed with enjoyment, so obviously enchanted with the location, dinner, and _him_. He'd decided to live dangerously for once, to embrace the spontaneity he usually avoided. It had blown up in his face. He really should have known better-- the day had started off abysmally, after all. But could it possibly get any worse? He'd thought not, but he'd been proven wrong. Spectacularly. Maybe next he could get struck by lightning, or carried away in a flash flood. Either would be a fitting conclusion to a day of similar disastrous proportions. But perhaps the day was salvageable-- maybe this was a simple misunderstanding. Considering he was dealing with Sakura, it seemed very likely. She jumped to conclusions—the wrong conclusions—so easily. How was it possible that she could excel in a cold, logic-driven field such as medicine?

He found his voice and addressed the irate kunoichi. "Sakura, what are you talking about? I've never lied to you—" And that was true, almost. He'd never lied to her about anything of consequence. This assumed of course, that lies of omission were discounted.

Her voice was sharp as she interrupted. "You obviously have. You told me that you'd been in love before. We were sitting on a bench, under the trees, during the festival. When I asked you point blank, your exact words were 'Yes. Definitely.' That's pretty emphatic." She crossed her arms across her chest and glared at him. "So, which was it? Were you lying just now, or did you forget all about your first love for a minute?"

"By any chance do you remember the entire conversation?" _This is what she's angry about?_ Kakashi breathed more easily, and tried his best to maintain a calm face, though he wanted desperately to burst out laughing. He subdued his rising mirth. He knew that so much as the smallest giggle would incur Sakura's wrath.

"Yes-- the memory just came back to me. You said it snuck up on you. That you were friends first, and that you loved her as a friend, but that gradually you began to see her differently. It was Rin, wasn't it? Why can't you be honest about that? Do you really think it would make a difference to me that you'd loved someone else? You're almost 40, Kakashi. It would be kind of creepy if you had never been in love until now."

"What else did I say?" He looked at her intently. "How did I describe the girl I fell in love with?"

"You said she was smart, and trusting and a perfectionist. That she was passionate and didn't hold back. That she was loving. And prickly… and hot tempered…"

"And that doesn't remind you of someone?" He gave her an encouraging half-smile.

Sakura looked at him, eyes alight with righteous indignation. "I don't know anything about your past love life. How am I supposed to know who the hell you were talking about? You were probably a teenager at the time. How would you expect me to know anything about the people you hung around with twenty or twenty five--"

"You."

"What about me?"

He rolled his eyes, both bandaged and visible. For someone so intelligent, she certainly could be dense at times.

"I was in love with _you_."

"What?!" It was her turn to stare in wonder, mouth agape. Her mind whirled as she considered the implications. She was quiet for what seemed to Kakashi to be only seconds less than an eternity. But when she did speak, her words were not what Kakashi expected to hear.

"How long." Her words were flat in intonation and hollow, as though her voice were somehow disconnected from her body.

"I'm not sure. As I said, it crept up on me."

"Recently?"

"No, Sakura." He paused. "The truth is, I've been in love with you for years. Forever, almost."

"Forever." Her face went blank as she tried to comprehend. "You've been in love with me _forever_."

"Seems like it, yes."

"I see." She sat silently for several minutes as she considered his words, then slowly got to her feet.

"Sakura?" There was no outburst, no swinging of fists, no typical fiery-tempered Sakura reaction. She was strangely subdued. And now she was turning away, as if to leave. From her posture she seemed beaten, crushed down, almost forlorn.

"_Sakura_."

"I can't talk to you right now." Her voice was even and soft, displaying neither the tremor indicative of oncoming tears, nor the constriction and rising pitch that often preceded a full-on scream. She turned back to gaze at him for a moment, her emerald eyes slightly bluer and cooler than usual, unaccentuated by the tiny muscle twitch he usually saw just before she exploded. Then she closed her eyes as if gathering her resolve to do an extremely difficult task.

"Matte kudasai. Sakura, please stay. I need to know what you're thinking."

"I don't know what to think. I need some time." She turned away, and walked slowly along the rough path that wound through the understory, and out of the garden.

Kakashi leaned back against the tree and tried to make sense out of the non-argument they'd just had. The angry, spitfire version of Sakura he understood. Even in her irrational moments she made a kind of sense, once he abandoned typical cause-and-effect thinking, and approached things more holistically. But this deadly calm, almost cold Sakura was a different story altogether. What could she be thinking that would drain her of emotion, her very lifeblood?

_You left her, stupid. _

It came to him suddenly. That had to be it.

_How would you feel if you were Sakura? If the person who had abandoned you when you lay broken informed you that when he'd done so, he'd been deeply in love with you? How would you feel if the person claiming to have been in love with you "forever" revealed himself to be a damned coward?_

How would he feel? Drained? Confused? Betrayed?

_Shit_.

He needed to talk to her, needed to make things right.

He half rose from his seat, then sunk back down again as he realized how futile it would be to pursue her immediately. Talking to her before she'd had a chance to think things through would be foolish, strategically thinking. It was possible, no, probable that she'd reach an unwarranted conclusion if left to her own devices, as that seemed to be her forte, but if he interrupted her beforehand, there would be hell to pay. If he had learned anything during this horrible day it was that sometimes Haruno Sakura needed her space. It would be best, he saw, to honor that request.

Kakashi packed away the remainder of the dinner items, then shook out and folded the cloth that had served as their dining room. She'd need at least a half-hour, he thought, before she'd be ready to talk and more importantly, to listen. In the meantime, he might as well work on his apology, and a suitably phrased explanation for the long delay in letting her know of his feelings for her. He picked up the loaded hamper and began to walk toward the entrance to the secluded space that had served him so poorly as an idyll. He produced a kunai and cut bluebells as he walked. A massive bouquet of the fragrant blooms would do no harm, he thought. And maybe some chocolate would help, as well. It always worked in the _Icha, Icha_ novels, anyway.

He was halfway down the village's main street when it suddenly occurred to him. The book. He'd placed it for safekeeping in the backpack they'd shared. If she were to find it-- an image of a sudden, devastating pyroclastic eruption filled his mind. He sprinted back to the inn.

…o…o…o…o…

Sakura was halfway back to the ryokan before she realized she had no key. She had no intention of using any ninja arts to open the door. She had nothing on her person that could serve as a pick, and she had no desire to be dressed down by this staff for another damaged door. At least she wasn't crying, she thought bitterly. She really didn't want to talk to anyone right now, but having to do so with a puffy, tear-stained face would be too much to bear.

She located the concierge after removing her boots at the entrance, and quietly explained her needs. Apart from being locked out, she felt a headache coming on, and needed to make some herbal tea. The concierge was solicitous, however, and tactful, as well, as one would expect at an inn of this caliber. He quickly procured a vacuum flask of hot water and the extra room key she needed, and limited his conversation to vague comments about the weather forecast. Sakura sighed as she entered the elegant suite she had yet to enjoy, then locked and bolted the western-style entrance to the room. After setting the flask on the small living room's kotatsu she entered the bedroom she had planned to share with Kakashi. Small chance of that now, she thought. She was too confused, and too hurt to want to spend time with him, let alone be intimate. She knelt by the backpack Kakashi had prepared before leaving Snow and began to remove items as she searched for her medic's kit. Hopefully it contained some willowbark or another herb that might avert a headache. Kit located and set on the futon, Sakura repacked the bag, which contained mostly Kakashi's clothes, a couple of bags of potato chips, and little else of interest. She smiled wryly as she moved a dark blue t-shirt from the pile of items, uncovering a white-bound book imprinted in simple, small katakana: _Icha, Icha, Teisatsu._ At least he'd have something to keep him company tonight. She set it on the low table that served as nightstand. Hopefully, he'd understand the implied suggestion.

Kit in hand, Sakura exited the bedroom, grabbed the flask of hot water and hastily made herself a tisane of willowbark. She gulped down the bitter brew as quickly as possible. It was nauseating, but should be an effective prophylactic. She needed to think things through logically, and a headache would slow down this process considerably.

She flopped on the futon and struggled to figure out, first of all, just what she was feeling.

She was angry, to be sure, but this anger felt different from her usual intense, but short-lived rage. It was deeper, and ragged, as though she'd rushed headlong through a plate glass window, embedding shards deep within her body. There was hurt, too—she felt tremendously let down, as though something she had counted on had never been there. It was trust, she realized. She'd misplaced her trust.

He'd loved her, he said, forever. _Almost forever._ What did that mean? They'd known each other for half her life. Did forever start at the beginning of that time, or when she was older? They really hadn't interacted that much in the past twelve years, and it had been in short bursts each time. Her first year as a genin had been under his tutelage, then three years later they'd reunited as senpai and kohai, as near equals on Team Kakashi. They'd interacted for two years, that time. Then he'd disappeared from her life again. They'd almost never crossed paths until that day in the woods only weeks ago. So where did forever begin? There were only two choices. Had she been fifteen or even sixteen when he'd begun to fall in love with her? If so, why hadn't he told her? She'd been a chunnin by then, a highly respected member of the village, a key staff member at the hospital—an adult in almost every aspect of the word. She'd lived alone, as an adult did, and had killed people and been wounded as a soldier for the village. She couldn't legally drink alcohol yet, but the ability to make all other key decisions had been entrusted to her well before that time. She could even marry with her parents' permission. Furthermore, Kakashi had made it clear to her and Naruto that he was no longer their sensei, which meant that the student-teacher taboo was no longer relevant. Not that the taboo was really an issue, considering that Tsunade herself was the offspring of such a liaison.

The situation just didn't make sense. If he loved her as deeply as he said, surely he would have told her when he realized his feelings. She was certain of it. Kakashi had proven again and again that he didn't care what people thought of him. The man read porn in public, after all. He was always late, even to meetings with the hokage, and for most of his life he'd put up with constant questions and comments about his mask. Falling in love with a fifteen-year old wouldn't have bothered him. She was sure of this. Besides, it was well known that certain jounins favored younger kunoichi. Ino had been with several of them her fifteenth year. An image of Genma, grinning smugly, with her best friend draped over him like an accessory sprang unbidden into her mind. He hadn't cared—it had been a point of pride for him, in fact, that he was able to attract such young beauties. So why would this have been an issue for Kakashi? The answer was: _it wasn't._ There was just no way.

Added to this was the fact that fifteen or sixteen was not far at all from eighteen. In only two or three years she would have reached her majority. If the fact that she was a minor really had been a concern, he could have waited two years and told her of his feelings when she reached what society defined as adulthood. Or he could have treated her like his equal, like the adult she essentially was, told her of his feelings, and waited by her side until she reached adulthood. But he hadn't done either of these things. She was twenty four now, and the meeting that had set current events into motion had been purely accidental. If he loved her as much as he said, why would he have waited so long? Why would he have left things to chance? The Kakashi she knew didn't act in this way. He made his own future.

So where did that leave her? What could she reasonably infer from all of this? The answer seemed clear. For some reason, he hadn't wanted them to be together. Furthermore, it was reasonable to conclude that he hadn't fallen in love with her during their second period of time together—the actions that would have ensued didn't fit his character. The only other time she'd associated with Kakashi had been as genin—was that what this was all about? Was it possible that he'd fallen in love with her that long ago? That he'd seen his attraction to her as wrong, and had distanced himself to keep things from progressing?

_No. That can't be. _

She laughed aloud at the ridiculousness of it.

_But does the evidence fit? Use Occam's Razor. The simplest explanation that fits every fact is the best explanation. What other explanation can you think of?_

She thought of the girl she'd been twelve years earlier-- a girl consumed by puppy love and entirely focused on someone incapable of loving her in return. A girl with gangly arms and legs, an oversized forehead, and a boyish, still underdeveloped figure. A girl not that different from that genin in the park.

He'd kissed her so passionately after looking at that girl. He'd told her he loved her.

And that evening, he'd shaved her.

Sakura stood and slowly undressed, then turned to examine herself in the full-length mirror. She had a woman's body, to be sure. But it was less curvaceous than most kunoichi's, much more boyish and muscular, less padded and soft. More childish. It really wasn't that different from when she was twelve.

She felt dizzy, as image after image converged in her mind, crystallizing her hypothesis.

"_She reminds me of you. I love you, Sakura."_

"_You, sweet cherry blossom, are a very naughty girl. How am I going to punish you? Maybe I should lay you over my knee and warm your gorgeous bottom. You've never been spanked, have you? I'm sure you were terribly spoiled, being an only child and all."_

"_What do you think people will say when we get back to Konoha?" _

"_That I'm a cradle-robber, most likely. That I'm a Svengali—that I've hypnotized you with the Sharingan and stolen away your free will. That this has been going on since you were twelve."_

Sakura collapsed on the futon and finally began to cry.

…o…o…o…o…

The bolt securing the door held back Kakashi for all of thirty seconds. He rushed into the bedroom and knelt over the backpack. He'd hastily wrapped the book in a t-shirt, then set it on the very top of the stack of items within the bag. Where was it?

Kuso.

He flopped onto the futon. He'd just added fuel to the strange, cool fire that had been smoldering within Sakura. How was he going to explain possession of a semi-pornographic novel that featured her as a central character? It would have been hard enough to bring up the topic out of the blue, but he'd figured he'd have a bit of time before she needed to know about it, or that he could somehow make the problem disappear by quietly confronting Jiraiya and appealing, if necessary, to his romantic side. Surely he wouldn't publish the novel if he knew they were getting married.

Kakashi rolled over onto his side and saw the novel resting on the nightstand.

Shit. Shit.

Then he heard her sobs. They were different from those of this morning. Her tears then had been born of frustration, of feelings of inferiority, and of simple exhaustion. These, he could tell, were full of despair and loss. He'd heard her cry like this twice before. The first time had been when she'd given up on Sasuke. The second time was when she'd lost her parents. That time had been worse—she'd almost drowned in her grief. And that's how she was crying now—as if someone dear to her had died, as though she'd lost her most precious person.

In a moment he stood outside her room.

"Sakura?"

She either didn't hear him or chose not to answer.

"Sakura? I'm coming in."

"No." He heard a staccato inhalation as she tried to calm herself. "I can't talk to you right now."

"Please, Sakura. I need to explain some things to you. I need to apologize to you."

"You're not going to go away, are you." Her voice was flat. "Give me a minute, then."

He waited, as instructed, then slid back the fusuma to see Sakura's small figure under the thickly padded kakebuton. She looked fragile, almost invalid, her bare arms nearly white against the deep indigo of the quilt. He placed the armful of flowers he'd collected on her beside table (he'd foregone the chocolates after remembering about the book), then sat gingerly on the edge of the futon and reached out to touch her. She shrank back in pain, as though he'd touched her with red hot tip of a cigarette. She turned her face away from him, the curtain of hair that hid her features quickly dampening with freshly shed tears.

"Sakura…I'm sorry." Kakashi reached out his hand to touch her again, but abruptly stopped, leaving his hand poised above her as he grasped for words. "You know—"

"That you're a hentai?" She turned to face him. "I've known that since the day I first met you. But I didn't think-- I thought it was harmless. They were just silly books you read to pass the time. I thought they were amusing, once we started reading them together. I was even willing… I was even willing to take part in whatever fantasies they'd inspired in you. Did you know that?" She smiled ruefully. "But this is different. This perversion centers around _me_—around _us_. It takes something that should be beautiful—almost spiritual—and turns it into something rank and base. Something disgusting that has to be hidden from the light of day." Her expression was bleak as she searched his face. "I thought you loved me, Kakashi."

"I do love you!" How could she think otherwise?

"No. You love some image of me, some perverted fantasy of an innocent girl who doesn't exist, and never did."

"No, Sakura. I love _you_."

She threw back the kakebuton, revealing her naked body to him. "Look at me."

She really didn't have to issue that command, as his eyes were already scanning her gorgeous, unblemished flesh, appreciating the subtle curve of her hips, and the perfect half globes that were her breasts. Was there something in particular he was supposed to be considering? She was an absolute goddess, his very definition of femininity. Even now he wanted to take her, to show her again and again how much he loved her.

"I'm not that girl, Kakashi."

He shook his head in disbelief. She was every bit the woman portrayed in Jiraiya's drawings. How was it possible that she could compare herself to them and find herself lacking? She was clearly distraught, beyond consolation. He cursed himself for his lack of self control in buying the book. What could he do to fix things?

"Sakura, you are that girl. You're the girl-- the woman-- I love."

Her eyes widened and tears began to cascade freely over their red-rimmed lower lids.. "You... you really don't think there's anything wrong with..."

"With loving you? No, Sakura."

She turned away as her body shook. What was going on? Kakashi wondered. This had to do with her neighbor spying on her-- that had to be it. But why was she so upset with him? Other than the obvious reason, of course. He really should never have purchased that book.

"Sakura, I meant to tell you. I—"

She stared at him, incredulous. "Did you really think I would be okay with it? Did you really think that I would be okay with you making love to me while entertaining some sick fantasy of me?"

What was she talking about? The pictures weren't sick—they were beautiful, actually, more tasteful than most of Jiraiya's previous work. The text—well, he hadn't actually gotten too far into it. Had the sannin gone farther than usual in his descriptions? Damn him for screwing this up.

"Sakura, you may find this hard to believe, but I had your best interests at heart. I always have, hana."

She started crying again. "I can tell you really believe that." She pulled the quilt over herself and huddled under it, as if trying to shleter herself from him. "Please go, Kakashi. We can talk more in the morning."

Kakashi reluctantly left her side and retired to the bedroom that was now his alone. He stretched out on the futon and stared at the ceiling, wondering how in just one day his life had gone from perfection to shit. Sakura was at the point of no return—he could sense it. _Naruto_ could have sensed it. He had no doubt that she'd leave him in the morning. Worse still, he couldn't think of a thing he could do to stop her.

He stared at the ceiling's imperfections until the light faded from the room. He started as he realized with a pang of guilt that he hadn't even apologized to her, or offered an explanation for the wide gap between the realization of his love for her and his proclamation of it. He half-rose from his bed, then dropped down again. Difficult as it was, he intended to honor Sakura's request. She'd made it clear she didn't want to talk to him until morning.

Now he just had to get through the night. He didn't want to read _Icha, Icha Teisatsu_—in fact, he'd contemplated burning it until he realized it might be one of his only mementos of her. _Icha, Icha_ _Takutikusu, Volume 12_ was similarly off-limits. It reminded him too much of her. He heard her voice when he read it, her bell-like laugh as she's poked fun at its various plot holes and her exclamations of shock when they'd reached particularly juicy parts. She'd ruined his favorite hobby, he realized, but he also knew that he would gladly give it up if doing so would fix things between them.

Kakashi closed his eyes and tried to sleep without success. Even meditating didn't help. He wanted to hold her so badly. He imagined his arms around her, comforting her, taking away the pain he'd caused her, doing whatever it took to prove to her that he loved her. Because he _did_ love her. Despite this horrible day, her several foul moods and near hysterical behavior, he loved her, as he'd never loved another. He allowed himself the dark luxury of imagining his life without her and found himself experiencing, momentarily, the despair he'd heard in her sobs.

It was too much. He switched on the television and rummaged through his belongings for an _Icha, Icha_ film. If nothing else, it would distract him from the inevitable for a couple of hours.

…o…o…o…o…

Sakura lay in bed, completely exhausted, yet unable to sleep. Her room was quite dark. At this time of year in the far north of Fire, the sun still retired early. She guessed it was at least eleven p.m. A breeze had picked up outside. The rustling of the plantings along the inn's foundation, as well as the occasional sound of a leaf hitting the window were a comforting distraction, though not soothing enough to calm the thoughts that raced through her head. She heard the low murmur of the television in the bedroom next door. Kakashi was watching a movie, she guessed, based on the occasional swell of music she heard. That said something about his level of discomfort, she thought.

She lay in bed until the movie ended, then listened carefully for signs of activity. It was hard to discern any, as a light rain had begun to fall outside, and its constant patter masked sounds that were not loud or intermittent. She closed her eyes and focused instead on her erstwhile lover's chakra, noting its even, steady flow. He was either asleep or meditating, she surmised. Either way, his powers of detection were at less than one hundred percent. Sakura rose from her bed and quietly dressed in the clothes she'd worn earlier that day. She loaded the backpack she'd carried to the inn the week before, and swore softly as she realized she had no provisions. She slid open her room's fusuma, and stood motionless as she waited for any response within the room next door. Five minutes passed before she walked the short distance to the bathroom, locking that door behind her, and sat on the tub's edge as she buckled on her sandals. She then opened the door to the small courtyard outside their suite, and sat in a rain slicked chair for a while as a fine mist beaded her hair and clothes. Satisfied that the copy ninja remained unawakened, she carried the chair to the edge of the courtyard, and used it to assist her in scaling the fence. As a ninja, she shouldn't have needed such an aid, but then again she was operating at less than full efficiency. Sakura poised for a moment, balanced like a cat on the narrow strip of wood that framed the upper edge of the lightweight bamboo fence, then dropped down lightly, and walked into the rainy night.


	38. Flight

_Disclaimer: Naruto and associated characters are property of Masashi Kishimoto. They are not my property!_

**Fourteen Dates **

_Author's note: Lots of response to that last chapter-- thanks to everyone who took the time to review. Things will get better for Kakashi and Sakura,, I promise. But not quite yet. Like a lot of you, I found Sakura's behavior a bit frustrating-- she has a ways to go maturity-wise. I hope I'll be able to show some believable character development in the next few chapters. I have to say, however, that it struck me as funny that only a couple of people noticed that Sakura wasn't the only one jumping to conclusions. _

**Chapter 38: Flight**

"Sakura!" Kakashi woke up drenched in the cold sweat of a nightmare. This was the first time he'd had that dream outside of the hospital, a sure sign, he realized, of his distress. He still felt the cloying, deadening scent of formaldehyde in his nostrils, and still saw the blood congealed on her wrists, deep maroon against the lifeless alabaster of her skin. Once again it had been Sakura, not his mother, who had been laid out on the cold, stainless steel slab, Sakura whose features were cast into harsh relief by the glare of the single overhead lamp.

Kakashi stood and leaned against the windowsill, forehead to glass, as he tried to clear his head of the vivid imagery of the dream. It still clung to the edges of his consciousness, blending the limits of reality with itself. The glass, Kakashi noticed as the room became more real to him, was clouded with his breath. He wiped the condensation away and peered through the glass. It was raining steadily outside, and still dark, although the sky had lightened slightly to a metallic grey at its easternmost edge. There was no way he'd be getting back to sleep-- he might as well get the day started. Sakura had said she would be willing to talk in the morning, and it was almost dawn, now. He wondered how long it would take for her to rise. There was no way he intended to prod things along—not after the rushed awakening of yesterday and the pursuant cascade of events. Kakashi extended his chakra to examine the quality of her sleep, and realized with a jolt that Sakura was not in the suite. As he rushed down the hall, his stomach clenched. The bathroom door was closed. Locked too, he realized as he shook the doorknob. It deformed in his hand as he forced chakra into it. Lock compromised, Kakashi battered his shoulder against the door and shoved it open.

She'd been despondent last night. The look he'd seen in her eyes was one of complete devastation, a look he had recognized and connected with immediately. He'd felt that way so many times in his life, each time he'd lost someone. He remembered seeing brief flashes of that same look in his mother's eyes as well, although she had always done her best to hide it.

Kakashi pushed the shower curtains aside, heart in his throat, and offered a urgent plea to a nameless deity. _Please, please don't let this have happened._ This was how his mother had taken her life. He'd heard the whispers of his neighbors about the horrible mess she'd left behind, and he himself had seen the results of her self-brutality. This was despite the many layers of gauze that had been wrapped around her cold body's wrists and ankles in an attempt to hide her wounds from him.

Kakashi heaved a sigh of relief and willed his heart to resume its usual slow and steady beat. The tub was empty, and as sparkling white as it had been the day before. Gone he could deal with, as he could always hunt Sakura down—he had no doubt that he would find her. Dead, though… he would have died, as well, there at her side. And as bloodily.

He noticed the door connecting the bathroom to the patio was ajar, and pushed it open with his foot. Immediately he saw the chair set close to the bamboo fence edging the small space. It was clear this had been her exit route, and it was also clear from the presence of the chair that she still wasn't feeling up to par. Even wounded ninja didn't resort to props such as this—it was a matter of principle and pride. This told him a lot. She had been so eager to leave, despite her body's poor condition, that she was willing to forgo her pride. But her physical state meant she wouldn't be hard to track. It would be a morning's work at most, assuming she had left early the prior evening.

But Sakura, despite her occasional feelings of inadequacy, was a proud person, and rightfully so. She had struggled long and hard to refine her talents and grow into the successful kunoichi Kakashi knew. She never took the easy way out, and hadn't since her epiphany upon Sasuke's abandonment of Konoha. So why had she been so eager to leave that she'd swallow her pride in this way? Was a drawing of her in a smutty book really that intolerable? Intolerable enough to make her run as though abandoning a burning building? Was it the fact that Kakashi owned the book that he'd seem to sanction her portrayal in this way? Things just didn't make sense.

Kakashi returned to his bedroom, hastily threw his belongings into the large backpack he had carried from Konoha, then entered the adjacent room where Sakura had spent at least a few hours the night before. The bed was made, he noticed, as though Sakura had been reluctant to leave the chamber maid extra work. He nearly missed the small pile of items that lay in a neat stack upon the dark indigo blue kakebuton, as all of them were black. He picked up the lace-trimmed bra he recognized from their romp in the lingerie store, and inhaled deeply. It still smelled of her, delightfully so.

Her fragrance sparked a reverie. He imagined kissing her, feeling her satin-soft skin against his own, her petal-like lips against his neck, her fine, blushed hair intertwined in his fingers. He breathed her scent and marveled at her quiet beauty and ability to love completely. He marveled that she loved _him_. Because he'd never been in love, he'd never understood how people seemed to change throughout the course of an infatuation, nor how people who did find real love seemed to settle into each other as their love matured. He'd thought the changes of infatuation superficial, and the more subtle changes of mature love to be dull and confining. He'd therefore never thought it possible that one person might change him as much as Sakura had. What's more, he had not wanted it to happen—the possibility of losing his autonomy had been frightening. But Sakura had changed him, immeasurably, more than he had realized. These alterations, he now saw, were irrevocable, and he was glad of them. The moment he'd touched her, even sex had evolved for him. It was no longer about release, about satisfying overriding and primitive sexual urges. It was now about showing her what she was to him, about making her feel the ecstasy she induced in him. Their passion, their acting out of their love for each other had crystallized for him an understanding of what life could be. She'd affected the way he viewed the world. Now he saw everything through her eyes, or their eyes. He wasn't alone anymore, as he'd been for most of his life. He was completed by her, perfected by her love. And for the first time in his life, he considered the future.

But now she was gone. He saw clearly that he was only half a person without her, if even that. He was suffering a gaping wound, as though he'd been mauled by a ravening beast, as though a limb or major organ had been brutally torn away. He was bleeding profusely. This was nothing a tourniquet could staunch, and not something that would heal, even slowly, given time—the piece she'd taken with her was vital. She was vital. Kakashi saw that he wouldn't be the same until they were reunited as lovers. He might exist, but he wouldn't live. This was abundantly clear to him.

He smiled slightly as he noticed the feather-trimmed mules she'd set next to the stack of lingerie. He had guessed she had bought the frivolous shoes when he'd seen black feathers poking out of the bag she'd carried. Recognition of that small act had thrilled him. It had showed that not only was she tolerating his sexual playfulness, she was willing to participate, at least a bit, in acting out his fantasies. Apparently, she had second guessed her purchase. She'd thought better of all of this, he realized as he touched each article of clothing she'd left behind. Some were new to him—it seemed that, on a whim, she'd purchased several other items. A short, black silk chemise caught his eye. He shook it out in front of him and regarded it, imagining Sakura filling it out, the thin, near-translucent fabric doing little to hide her small, firm breasts, the cool satiny smoothness of the fabric stirring her nipples to erection. A ripple of arousal passed through him, followed abruptly by the cold slap of reality. It was obvious that after they'd made love in the dressing room, she'd been inspired to buy this. Yet she'd left it behind, a not so subtle rejection of that day and those that followed. How could a simple book have accomplished all of this? Had she been uncertain all along? Were the book and its drawings the tiny grains that tipped the scales against him, giving her the excuse she needed to run away from this commitment?

Kakashi scratched the back of his head as confusion stirred inside him. He'd always been the one to run away before, always been the one to avoid even the merest suggestion of attachment. Hence the mask, the ever present semi-pornographic novel, the penchant for being late-- suggestions to others that he had better places to be, more important things to do and no need to interact with others. It was ironic to be on the receiving end of such actions. His eyes moved next to the low table that flanked the bed, and he saddened as he noticed the pile of wilted bluebells. Their death had been unnecessary. Next to the flowers was the himitsu bako. Here was another sign of her complete rejection of him. Kakashi sighed as he picked up the small treasure and pocketed it. He then gathered the rest of Sakura's belongings into the smaller pack he'd brought from Snow and readied to leave.

…o…o…o…o…

"I'll go south. The rest of you, fan out. Pakkun, you're to head east. Signal me when you find her, but don't make contact with her, any of you."

"What's going on?" Pakkun looked at Kakashi with concern. It was clear this situation was not life threatening, but Kakashi was giving off an unusual mixture of scents—confusion, plus hints of exasperation and anger. Sadness, too. "She's not sick again, is she?"

"No, she's not sick. I'll let you know what's going on once we find her scent. Do you think you'll be able to pick it up?" Although the night's rain had tapered into a fine mist, it was evident that at least a couple of centimeters had fallen overnight. The road leading out of the village was topped with a thick layer of mud, and droplets of water still hung from the clusters of pine needles above them, natural prisms that split the cloud-filtered light into small blazes of color. It was a beautiful morning, really, one of the type Fire produced in abundance. Unfortunately, Kakashi was in no mood to appreciate it.

"Do you have something of hers that we could smell? It would help to have her scent fresh in our minds. I doubt we'll pick up anything right away, but the rain might have been localized. There's a good chance one of us will track her scent once we get into new terrain."

Kakashi rummaged through the smaller pack and pulled out the black lace bra, offering it reluctantly to his longtime team.

"Nice. I take it you bought that for her? It doesn't quite seem her style. She's a no-frills kind of girl, isn't she?" There was no response from the copy ninja. "Why is it in your pack and not hers? Is it a trophy? Something to add to your collection?" Pakkun saw Kakashi's eye narrow and decided not to share his next comment, one related to underwear fetishes and the collected works of the ero-sennin. This scrap of clothing was obviously a sore point for the copy ninja—the way his body had tensed when Pakkun had joked about it said volumes to the pug. Pakkun's voice softened a bit from its customary growl. "You've had a fight—a serious one, I'm guessing. You humans make things so difficult. Love is simple, really. You find a bitch whose scent drives you crazy, you claim her, she gives you lots of puppies and you live happily ever after. End of story. How hard is that? Instead, you humans quarrel, and blow things--"

"Spare me the editorializing. Just get moving, Pakkun. And the rest of you." Kakashi frowned at his group of ninken, who seemed surprised by the lead dog's audacity, and Kakashi's lack of suitable, dry rejoinder. After a cacophonous chorus of howls and sharp barks, his pack dispersed, and Kakashi headed south.

Most likely, Sakura was headed back to Konoha. If so, she'd probably backtrack over the trail they'd forged. Her first stop would therefore be the mountain town of Otenka where she'd picked up her illness. Kakashi stayed on the ground, foregoing the faster progress he would make if he traveled the canopy. It seemed unlikely to him that Sakura had taken that route, considering her physical condition. Tree running required a constant flow of chakra in order to maintain balance, particularly when branches were slick with moisture. If she were as tired as she seemed, she had little chakra to spare. Kakashi moved quickly, though he tracked carefully as he did so, eyes alert for the smallest disturbance on the forest floor. He saw no evidence of her of her, however. The rain had washed away any footprints, and although his sense of smell was better than even the Inuzukas', there seemed to be nothing here to pick up on. Moisture-laden ferns rubbed against his lower legs as he hurried through the undergrowth, folding back on themselves as he crushed them in his rush. Kakashi noted no similarly damaged plants in front of him, however. He doubted Sakura would have thought she had the time to move carefully through the forest, particularly on a rain filled night with almost no visibility. Her objective would have been to put distance between herself and Kakashi. She had to know he'd pursue her as soon as he realized she was gone. It was possible, of course, that Sakura's path ran parallel to the one he was forging, but Kakashi's gut told him more and more clearly that she hadn't come this way.

He turned abruptly and headed northeast, on a path to intercept Pakkun. If she wasn't headed south, she must be headed east. It made sense, now that he considered it. In his run to Snow, a delirious Sakura had said she'd wanted to see the ocean. In fact, he had promised to take her there. He pushed himself to run faster. Between the cherry blossom-filled village of Kawahana and the sea was a danger Sakura did not know of.

…o…o…o…o…

Sakura woke and stretched slowly, careful not to lean out too far from her resting place high above the ground. She was hungry and thirsty, as she hadn't packed supplies, but she comforted herself with the reminder that at least she wasn't cold and wet, too. She'd been so, hours before, but after reaching the lee side of the mountain she'd hiked, she found the land to be untouched by damp. She was in a rain shadow, she realized. The very height of the mountain she'd traveled caused the air to cool as it rose along the uplifted land. This, in turn, caused the air's moisture to condense and precipitate. By the time the air reached this side of the mountain, very little water remained in it. This had made it easy for Sakura to find dry kindling and small branches for a fire, and she quickly treated herself to its luxurious warmth. But not for long. A fire could easily get out of hand in a place as dry as this, so once warm, she'd quickly extinguished the flames with a mound of dirt she'd crushed from a nearby rock. She'd carefully combed over her campsite, making sure it looked as natural and untouched as her surroundings, before finding a suitable tree in which to spend a few hours. Unfortunately, these trees, like those on the western, damp side of the mountain, were also evergreen, though of a different species. Like all evergreens, however, they shared the characteristics of rough bark and sticky sap. . It would be an uncomfortable perch, but it would be a dry resting place, and Sakura had gladly settled into a much needed nap. She'd made good progress in the time she'd been running, she'd thought as she nodded off, although the level of her fatigue surprised her.

She still felt it now, she realized, even after several hours of rest. There was nothing she could do about it, though, apart from finding food and drink. She'd made the right decision in leaving, she told herself, and the fact that she was tired was something she'd need to work through. Sakura jumped from her perch and quickly walked down tree's immense bole to the forest floor. She'd slept for three hours, she reckoned. It had been almost dawn when she'd finally settled in to nap. Kakashi was probably waking up then, early riser that he was. She wondered what he'd done when he'd realized she was gone. Why did this have to happen?

Sakura's vision blurred for a moment as she fought back tears. She loved him. She couldn't deny it, and she knew beyond reason that he loved her, with a passion as true and deep as her own. He was hurting right now, assuming he was awake. Perhaps he was frantic. She understood how he felt, because she felt it, too-- a tremendous pain that almost suffocated her senses, spreading a thick, desolate blackness that blotted out all light. She loved him, and he loved her. It seemed so simple when she said the words to herself. But it was anything but that. Yes, he loved her, but not in a healthy way, not in the way that adults love each other. He was in love with something she had been years ago, a twelve-year-old girl. Contemplating it sent a shiver of disgust through her, which was compounded by the realization that it was as though he had been cuckolding her. But instead of finding another woman in his bed, Sakura had come upon _Sakura_. He'd been cheating on her, _with_ _her_, using the present Sakura to make love to the memory of his sexual attraction to the Sakura she no longer was. The thought made her retch, made her fall to her knees as she brought forth acid, then bile.

With nothing left in her system to purge, Sakura stood and started running. She needed to wash out the sour taste in her mouth, and she wanted to wash away the shame that clung to her like filth. The humiliation she felt at the recognition of this deception was worse than she felt upon realizing that Jiraiya was spying on her, and worse, also, than viewing the edited loops of tape her neighbor had made of her private daily activities. She felt dirty. Used. Humiliated. But she still loved him. Despite the fact that he loved another, he had her heart as well. Despite the fact that he had dragged her to a level of humiliation lower than anything she'd ever suffered, she wanted him next to her, holding her.

She ran toward the sound of bubbling water and dropped to her knees when she found its source, splashing water down her throat, then over her face and arms. It tasted sweet and pure and felt refreshing. She felt cleansed of her misery, if only for a while. Sakura rested by the natural spring and considered her actions. Maybe she shouldn't have left him. Perhaps she'd overreacted. She wanted to think so—it was unbearable to consider her life apart from his.

Was it wrong to be in love with a man who loved someone else? What if that someone no longer existed? Sakura argued with herself. He hadn't done anything wrong— Kakashi's attraction to her younger self had been merely that—an attraction. He hadn't broken any laws, in fact he'd stayed well away from her, most likely to keep from doing so. People (men, that is—she had no idea about women other than herself, as Ino had not been forthcoming on this particular subject as it related to women) harbored all sorts of strange inner fantasies, each connected to sex and pleasure. Did it matter exactly what the fantasy was, if it remained just a fantasy? Was this any different from dressing up as master and servant, or housewife and repairman? Did it really matter if Kakashi imagined another Sakura when he held her and caressed her? It was _this _Sakura that he loved, wasn't it?

_No._

It did make a difference, Sakura saw, as she headed east again. The difference between fantasy and this situation was that fantasy wasn't real and never would be. The excitement of role-playing (she was guessing here, although she had no doubt she would have experienced it first hand, soon enough) was precisely that it wasn't real. It would be thrilling to dominate or submit to another during sex play if doing so was different than real life. It would be exciting because it wasn't real, and because to do in real life was forbidden. But the younger Sakura was real. She no longer existed, but she had. This was different than dressing up in a school girl's uniform, and pretending to be something she was not. This was her lover pretending that she was something she once had been. For Kakashi to love her former self was like a man thinking of his deceased first wife while making love to his second. That couldn't be explained away as a healthy fantasy, because it wasn't a fantasy at all. It was simply living in the past, at another's expense.

_This hurts so much_.

She kept running, occasionally noting the slow progress of the sun as it climbed into the sky. Her stomach announced its needs to her clearly. She had hoped to come across some place to find sustenance, if not a village, than perhaps an isolated cottage or shack. She'd seen no signs of human life, however. What's more, it was still too early in the year for berries, and this side of the mountain had little undergrowth. She'd seen nothing worth eating so far--

_You never even asked him._

Sakura stumbled as the thought came to her from nowhere.

_Asked him what? _When was the last time she had heard from her inner self? She'd grown too strong, too forthright to need her counsel.  
_  
If he was into little girls._

_It was obvious, baka. I didn't need to ask—his responses verified everything I had inferred._

_That doesn't mean anything._

_Of course it does. There's no other explanation for his behavior._

_No. The words you use don't mean anything. It's amazing how you can choose words that totally strip your ideas of emotion. You act like you're a machine, but you love him, you know. How does that figure into your cut and dry equation? Doesn't he deserve more than this? Aren't you in this together? But you, alone, made the decision to cut and run. Because you had all the facts. You're judge and jury. Executioner, too, looks like._

_What was I supposed to say? 'Kakashi, did you want to do me when I was twelve?'_

_Yes. What did you have to lose?_

_My dignity. It's bad enough to think this of him. I couldn't bear to hear him tell me that._

_But maybe he wouldn't tell you that. Would you give up the best thing in your life just to avoid having your fears confirmed?_

_I can't hear him tell me that!_

She pushed her thoughts down and kept running.

…o…o…o…o…

Sakura was drenched with sweat by noon, and glad of the cool, westerly breeze that had begun to blow. It carried on it the faint smell of smoke, a smell that Sakura was glad of. Where there was smoke there was indeed fire, but more importantly, humans. Sakura moved more slowly now, checking the sky for signs of a telltale plume. She saw nothing, but soon the smell grew stronger. It was a stale smell however, not the smell of a fresh-burning fire, but the smell of stirred up ashes.

She noticed ruts that could only have been made by heavy wooden wagon wheels, flanked by the quick growing plants that tend to volunteer in disturbed areas. Intrigued, she followed the tracks into a less wooded area. What she saw surprised her. Out here, in the middle of nowhere stood the remains of a long, low, factory-like building. It was merely a burnt-out shell now, its roof collapsed, walls crumbled in several places. There hadn't just been a fire here. Sakura noticed the tell-tale signs of well-placed explosive tags. A master craftsman had brought down this building-- she could certainly learn a few things about deconstruction from him. Sakura picked her way over a pile of debris to see if she could ascertain the function of this building and why it had been targeted for destruction. If nothing else, she needed a break, not only to rest, but to think about something other than her failed relationship with Kakashi.

Within the remains of the building were several toppled tables, their soapstone tops cracked and split. Rusted iron supports littered the floor, as did piles of thin glass shards and larger hunks of porcelain. Several cracked bottles lay in the assortment of debris, a couple with unscorched labels. Sakura noticed the names of several strong reagents, not normally seen outside a laboratory setting. Just what had been manufactured here, so close to the border with Snow?

A dripping tap affixed to an interior wall reminded Sakura of her thirst. She was tempted to quench her thirst here, but thought better of it, after considering the amount of spilled chemicals that might have leached into the groundwater. She was hungry, too, almost ready to strip bark from the closest tree. Not that there was much nutritive value in the flaky, woody bark of a conifer.

It seemed unlikely that this building was completely isolated. There had to be some community nearby. Even if it was an unfriendly one, they would likely trade with her, particularly if she removed any signs of her status as ninja. Sakura removed her hitae-ate, her shuriken pouch and kunai holder, then carefully unwrapped the bandages around her right thigh and lower legs. With the simple green dress she still wore she looked more like a normal citizen of Fire than an elite jounin. At least, that was what she hoped.

Sakura traced her steps back along the rutted trail, and followed it further. It should lead up to a main road, she figured. She was right. Not ten minutes later, she found herself before a small cottage. Perhaps cottage was too kind a word, she thought as she stowed her gear high in a nearby tree. This building had never seen paint: its board and batten walls were silver with age, and its windows cloudy with grime and dust. It had the air of being lived in recently however, although no one seemed to be about. She wouldn't need to break in—she grinned as she saw the large pump close to the house. A pail filled with water hung from it, to assist in priming it. She eagerly ran to the pump, lifting its handle high in the air as she poured water down into its spout. It coughed up a sad, brown stream of water at first, but as she pumped more vigorously the stream became clear and cold. She ducked her head to take a long drink, and nearly jumped out of her skin as she heard a low voice behind her.

"I wouldn't drink that. It's not potable."

She turned to see a man of about her own age smiling at her. He was good looking in a non-descript way, the type of person usually described as "cute," but not "handsome." His eyes were warm, though, and Sakura immediately felt at ease around him.

"I—I'm sorry. I didn't realize anyone was at home."

He shrugged off her apology. "If it was any good, you'd be welcome to it. We have a tap inside that connects to a cistern of rain water. That's what we use for cooking and drinking. You're welcome to come inside, if you'd like." He motioned to the small house, then called out in a louder voice, "Rumiko! We've got company!" A woman's face appeared at a grimy window, then at the door. She waved to Sakura, also welcoming her. Her smile was as warm as that of the man who had greeted her, and her eyes as friendly. She was stunningly attractive, though, her features fine and regular, her eyes an unusual shade of light brown, to match the amber tone of her hair. Sakura wondered briefly about the relationship between the two residents of the tiny cottage. She was definitely out of the man's league, and certainly at least a few years older.

"Come in," the woman said. "I hope you'll let us serve you lunch. We have plenty to go round."

Sakura eagerly accepted the offer, hurrying as fast as Naruto might were Ichiraku to give out free samples. She left her sandals outside the door, and found a seat at the bleached wood table that served as work surface and eating area in the simple building's small and dingy kitchen.

"We've already eaten, but there's plenty of rice. I'm Rumiko, but I think you've guessed that. That's my husband, Dai, by the way. I'll bet he forgot to tell you his name, didn't he?" She winked at Sakura as she dished up a large bowl of rice, which she set before Sakura., along with a cup of green tea. "We finished the miso soup, but it will only take a minute to make more. You don't mind dashi no moto, do you?"

"No, of course not," said Sakura between huge mouthfuls of rice. This woman must think her a barbarian. She hadn't even had the courtesy to mutter, "itadakimasu," before letting her inner glutton take over. She tried to make up for it now. "Please don't put yourself to any trouble. The rice is plenty, really, and I greatly appreciate it."

"The water's already boiling. This is about as close to convenience food as you can get out here in the country, you know?" She took the pan off the single burner and stirred in the contents of a small packet, then pulled tofu and miso from a small ice chest.

"Mmm hmm. Thank you again for your hospitality."

"We don't get a lot of guests, and I'm sorry to say that I get lonely."

"You're here full time?" Sakura blushed. From the simple kerosene stove and lack of furnishings, she'd assumed this was some kind of rustic retreat, perhaps a weekend hideaway for rich, eccentric newlyweds. The building wasn't even electrified, and despite their shabby surroundings Rumiko and Dai had the mannerisms and speech patterns of the very well off.

"Oh, no. Only every now and then. Dai's hobby is hunting, and this is a great location. Soup's almost ready." She stirred the miso into a small amount of the stock, then back into the pan, then ladled a portion of the finished soup into a chipped but serviceable bowl.

Sakura slurped the soup gratefully. Kakashi was right when he'd claimed this as his favorite meal. It was comfort food, plain and simple, and almost impossible to get wrong. Kakashi… Why had she left him? It had seemed so clear only hours before. Now all she knew was that she wanted to be close to him. And she wanted to sleep. Her head felt heavy, all of a sudden.

"You haven't told me your name, you know." Rumiko had sat down opposite Sakura, elbow propped against the table and chin in hand. "Or why you're traveling alone. It's not safe, you know."

"I'm Sakura. I left my… husband this morning. My brother lives on the coast. He'll take me in."

Rumiko smiled at the groggy, sad young thing that sat across from her. Her innocence was arresting, and would clearly be marketable under different circumstances. "You poor thing. I've never placed much stock in love. It's tied too closely a belief in unerring fate. I believe we make our own fate, don't you? Although you walking into our lives was clearly a stroke of luck. Dai won't have to go out tonight. I hate it when he leaves-- he always comes back smelling of sake and cigarettes." The auburn beauty rose from the table and cleared away Sakura's empty dinnerware. "Look at my manners. I hadn't even noticed you'd fallen asleep. Dai?" she called in a voice too loud for someone in the presence of one slumbering. "Dai? Can you help? I can't carry her by myself."


	39. Comfort

_Disclaimer: Naruto and associated characters are property of Masashi Kishimoto. They are not my property!_

**Fourteen Dates **

_Author's note: Enjoy. Thanks again for taking the time to review! Your comments mean the world to me. _

**Chapter 39: Comfort**

It took Kakashi a good three hours to catch up with Pakkun. This was a positive sign, however. The ninken was fast, and for him to have traveled so far meant that he must have picked up Sakura's scent. The gap between Sakura and the small canine must have narrowed considerably, considering her relatively poor physical condition.

Kakashi came upon the dog in a small clearing. Pakkun's nose was to the ground, sniffing a wet patch of pine needles and duff.

"She was sick," the dog said shortly. "What did you do to her, Kakashi?"

"Nothing. It was a misunderstanding." It had to be a misunderstanding.

"It takes a special talent to get someone to throw up at the thought of you." Pakkun said this softly, forgetting for a moment the exceptional hearing possessed by his senpai. "I assume we're in the midst of another crisis? It's always the same, isn't it?" The pug looked at his leader balefully, then began running due east, but slowly, to allow Kakashi to stay by his side.

"That's your job, Pakkun. To assist when summoned. You've never complained before."

"Right. And I'm not complaining now. I just never find out what happened in between." He shook his head from side to side in a show of resignation. "I take it she recovered from the life-threatening illness?"

"Not completely. She's still tired."

"I noticed. She barely covered her trail. It wasn't hard to pick it up, once the terrain changed." He looked at Kakashi expectantly.

"She pulled through, and we fell in love."

"We? You were already in love with her."

"She realized it, too. Things were going fine until…"

"You screwed it up. I knew it! You are completely clueless when it comes to the opposite sex. Always have been—"

"Pakkun—" Kakashi growled a soft warning.

"So what happened?"

"We had just eaten dinner—I'd planned a picnic. I was just about to propose to her when she remembered something. Her memories from the time of her illness were spotty, but they were coming back to her piecemeal. She accused me of lying to her about never having been in love before."

"Why would she think that? You never were before, right? I think I'd know, otherwise. Although you've tried out enough bitches, that's for sure. It was a new one every night for a while, wasn't it? Even on missions. I don't understand why you don't have pups scattered all over Fire and the allied nations."

_It's called birth control, little doggy._

Kakashi rolled his eyes at Pakkun's continued naiveté regarding the human world, then shuddered involuntary as he imagined the countless bastard children that might have been if his world more closely resembled that of the small canine. Pakkun's remarks were becoming increasingly irksome, cutting ever more deeply into his pride. Kakashi already knew that he'd screwed up in his life, multiple times. He didn't need the dog pointing out every minute detail to him. "Save the commentary, Pakkun," the copy ninja grumbled. "I'm not in the mood for it.."

"Grrr. Sorry. So why did she think that you'd lied?"

" I had been trying to tell her my feelings the day she got sick, but I wasn't completely straightforward—"

"Well, that's what you get for telling tall tales all the time. When you want to tell the truth, you can't—"

"Why am I telling you this?" Kakashi shook his head at his summons' complete lack of respect.

"Because I'm more likely to locate Sakura than you are, and I'll do more quickly, too."

Kakashi sighed as Pakkun grinned, showing small, sharp teeth. He really had no choice but to continue with the story if he wanted the small dog's cooperation. The pug could be as stubborn as any of his former students. Kakashi thought for a moment of Tsunade's summons—a nice, sweet, docile slug. He doubted Katsuyu would dare to talk to the Hokage in the way that was becoming increasingly routine for Pakkun. Of course, Katsuyu came with a fair amount of slime, a less than desirable trait that in Kakashi's mind outweighed the smart remarks Pakkun sometimes made. Life, for a shinobi, was full of tradeoffs, it seemed. Kakashi resumed his narrative as he and his canine companion changed course slightly.

"So. As I was saying, she misunderstood me. I explained that I'd been in love with her almost forever and she kind of freaked out. Not in any way that was usual for her—she didn't tantrum, didn't punch, didn't scream. She became really quiet. Then she left and went back to our hotel room, and things got worse. She found my copy of the newest Icha, Icha—"

"Surely something like that wouldn't bother her—she's known about it since the day you first met."

"The problem was that this volume had drawings of _her_ in it. Naked, of course. The plot revolves around a couple who are clearly based on us."

"Jiraiya—"

"Jiraiya has a warped sense of humor. He must have remembered a conversation we had years ago. I was drunk at the time."

"You'd have to be to let something like that slip."

"Yeah," said the normally tight-lipped ninja. "Anyway, she accused me of being in love with the girl in the drawings, not her. She ran away sometime during the night."

Pakkun was silent for the next ten minutes, as he focused intently on Sakura's trail. Then he stopped suddenly and addressed Kakashi.

"What do you think made her so upset during your dinner?"

"I thought it was because I hadn't told her as soon as I realized I loved her. I figured her pride was hurt. But I really don't know—we never talked about it. By the time I got back to the hotel, she'd already seen the book. She made it clear she didn't want to talk. She seemed… devastated."

"You've known her for twelve years."

Pakkun was silent after this brief remark, for long enough that Kakashi felt like the slow kid in class, the one who catches on a good thirty minutes after everyone else, if at all. It was definitely a new experience for him.

"Yes?" Kakashi asked after waiting patiently for what seemed like at least another five minutes. What was the small dog getting at?

"Has she ever acted this way before?"

"Sakura is completely emotional. I know that she meditates in an attempt to control her outbursts, but to me it didn't look as though she was very successful. She always reacts strongly, whether happy or sad. And when she's angry, the fur flies."

"And do you think she'd be angry if her pride were hurt?"

"Hell, yes." He'd seen the result of her wounded pride many times before.

"So, in what circumstances has she acted the way you saw?"

"Quiet and flat?" Kakashi thought for a minute. "When she heard the news about her parents, she was like that at first. It took a while for the dam to burst."

"So what you told her at dinner affected her like a death."

"Right."

"So?"

"I don't follow you."

Really, was it just Kakashi, or were all human men this clueless, Pakkun wondered. How hard was it to read someone's emotions? When someone was angry, you could tell by their stance, the raising of their hackles, the strong odor of… well, anger. Similar clues were clearly recognizable for fear, shame and every other emotion. They each had their own unique and highly recognizable fingerprint. But humans had to muck all of this up by also considering what was said, and not said. To Pakkun it seemed much more prudent to talk with feelings alone. They were less likely to lead one astray. This was even more true when it came to dealings with females. Pakkun took a deep breath and did his best to tutor his senpai in the basics of reading emotion.

"So is it possible that she interpreted your words differently than what you'd intended? That it wasn't her pride that was wounded? That somehow, you cut her much more deeply?"

"Huh." Kakashi considered the small dog's words. Somehow, they seemed to ring true.

"Let's talk about what happened next, when you returned to the hotel. What did Sakura do when she saw the book?"

"I don't know. I wasn't there."

"Well, then, how do you know she saw it?"

"Because it was moved from my pack to the table near the bed."

"So it was still in one piece?"

"Yes. Wait a minute." Kakashi suddenly realized where he'd gone wrong. She would have torn it up and punched him senseless if she'd actually seen those drawings. The entire hotel would have heard in detail of his faux pas, and her resulting opinion of him. But this hadn't happened-- far from it. Again, her behavior had been abnormal.

"So what does that tell you?"

Kakashi sighed. "That I jumped to an unwarranted conclusion. Kuso. I'm just as bad as she is." Sakura was clearly upset, but not about the book. Something else had bothered her enough to leave in the middle of the night. And that something was likely related to their words under the dogwood tree.

"We're here, by the way. Her pack is in that tree. She's in that shack over there, back room, if I'm not mistaken." Pakkun looked critically at the man standing next to him. He really was a mess, and in a completely different way than he usually was. But he admired and respected the shinobi, despite his gruff, cynical words to the contrary.

"Thanks, friend." Kakashi smiled at the dour dog, whocontinued to appraise him, again shaking his head slowly.

"Just invite me to the wedding, baka." Mission complete, Pakkun disappeared in a small puff of smoke.

Kakashi reconnoitered the area, quickly learning from chakra signatures that there were three individuals in the area apart from him, and that one of them was definitely Sakura. He skirted the small building, staying close to the large trees which shaded it fully, but was unsuccessful in finding a window clean enough to peer through, or even a crack in the aged, silvered wood that sided the building. He jumped lightly onto the building's thatched roof, and crouched over the area where he most strongly felt Sakura's presence. It would take a bit of work, but once he untied the bundle of straw covering this area, he'd be able to pick away at its members until he reached the battens on which they lay. The room should be immediately below. Buildings of this caliber did not tend to have formal ceilings-- instead the roof was exposed directly to the room below. The trick would be removing just enough plant matter to see into the room, without exposing himself to the room's occupants.

In just a few minutes, Kakashi had a clear view into the room below, and a perfect view of the woman he'd been pursuing. She took his breath away, momentarily, and for various reasons. Sakura was a vision in the scanty undergarments she wore. He recognized them from the brief view he'd seen of them when she lay in his lap under the dogwood. With a twinge of regret, Kakashi realized she'd purchased them for him. He hadn't seen her in pink for years. It made her look even more feminine, and fragile, as well. These were two characteristics she did her best to steer clear of. It touched him that she had been willing to appear that way for his sake. She seemed to be sleeping, he noticed, once his eyes moved away from the perfection of her form, and she was in chains, her arms raised to flank her head. Why? He was sure he knew the answer. He'd been in this part of Fire only weeks before, and unfortunately hadn't finished the job assigned him. He hadn't thought they'd return so quickly, though he'd feared it once he realized the direction Sakura had taken. How had she fallen into their trap? More importantly, what would be the best way to rescue her? It would take time to cut through the shackles binding her wrists—he'd need to first size up and take out her captors as well as scout a wider perimeter for the presence of additional enemies.

He continued to gaze at the woman he'd fallen in love with as he considered his options. She didn't seem uncomfortable, though her breathing was a bit shallow. But her chakra was erratic, he realized, now that he was close enough to inspect it in more detail. It was present, but moving strangely through her, as though she'd been drugged. He crouched over the opening, masking his chakra in case his intuition about her captors was wrong, and exhaled slowly as the door to Sakura's bedroom opened. It was a woman, a person he'd never seen before, but he could tell by her bearing that she was in charge, not some female subordinate sent in to mind the captive. The woman sat gingerly on the edge of the narrow bed that held the sleeping Sakura and tapped her face gently, murmuring softly to her as she did so.

These didn't seem to be the actions of a cold-blooded killer, or even those of a cool-blooded, reluctant kidnapper, but Kakashi found himself repeating one phrase over and over, as though it were his mantra.

_Harm a single hair on her head and I will kill you, slowly._

…o…o…o…o…

It was a lovely state to experience-- half dreaming and half awake, only slightly aware of the world surrounding her, feeling only life's pleasures and none of its worries. A pillow had never before felt this soft-- she was sure of it. Sakura felt as though she were floating in warm, quiet waters, with nothing but her own heartbeat for company. It was peaceful and serene, a dream she never wanted to wake from. Sakura lay in this limbo for hours or minutes—she couldn't discern the difference, and didn't want to. This was heaven, it had to be heaven. But what was this irksome bee that was disturbing her? Its buzzing grew in intensity until the wonderful half dream faded into nothingness. Sakura opened her eyes reluctantly to find another's staring into her own.

"Ah, there you are. Finally. I wasn't sure you'd wake up. You have some appetite for such a petite person. I thought I'd made a horrible mistake."

"What?" The words of the woman standing over her seemed muffled, as though she were several rooms away. Sakura attempted to turn to her side, to slip back into the dream she'd lost, but found she couldn't easily move. She then shook her head to clear the fog that still blanketed her faculties. She tried to sit up, but winced in pain as her arms were held fast behind her. She was chained, she realized belatedly, shackled somehow to the bed's headboard.

"You shouldn't move. You'll only hurt yourself." The woman moved closer, gently lifting Sakura's head to prop another pillow beneath it.

What was her name?

"Rumiko." That was it. "You poisoned me?" Sakura frowned, bewildered, as she saw the slightest shadow pass across the beauty's face, as though the woman had been affronted. Wasn't that what the woman had just implied—that she had put something into her food or drink? Why would such a question insult her? But then the amber-eyed woman smiled, as though trying to mitigate an uncomfortable social situation.

"No, not poisoned. I just gave you something to put you out for a while. But I miscalculated-- sorry about that. I was beginning to get worried, you know." Sakura saw the same look of warmth in her eyes that she had seen before, the look she had misinterpreted to mean "this is a friend—this person won't hurt you." Did her captor actually feel something like compassion towards her?

If so, how could she use this feeling against the woman? Sakura did her best to focus, to bring forth the many years of training she'd endured in preparation for situations like these. This was a difficult task, however. Her mind felt as though it were wrapped in layers of cotton batting, as though it had been packed away carefully before a long trip. She struggled to unreel her mind from the layers of confusion and lethargy that protected it from impact with her environment. As in all of her studies, Sakura had memorized word for word the concepts and protocols critical to survival as a hostage or detainee. With an effort, she brought them forth now.

_First, gather information. Get the hostile party to talk. She may say something she didn't intend to reveal._

"Why am I here?"

"Why, indeed. You ran away from home, remember? From your husband, you said."

"No. Why are you holding me here?" Sakura's added the slightest note of frustration to her voice, as her training clicked into gear. She'd practiced these skills so often that she no longer needed to operate on a conscious level, although she was still aware of the purpose behind her actions. The feelings of frustration and anger were intentional. It wouldn't pay to seem too calm and rational, she knew. And the feelings weren't difficult to muster, at any rate. She was furious with herself for her stupidity and for the ease with which she'd been captured. How humiliating it was that the price of her capture had been a meal of miso soup and rice. She focused on Rumiko, to see her addressing her as calmly as if she were reciting a grocery list, and as kindly and patiently as if she were teaching a young child the basics of reading.

"Because I need a comfort woman and you fit the bill. And I didn't think you'd say 'yes,' if I flat out asked. "

"A comfort woman?"

"Someone to entertain my employees. You see, we're rebuilding a facility, and out here in the middle of nowhere the boys get bored. I can't have them walking off the job—the project is secret, and it would get messy if anyone were to leave—so we import entertainment for them. Dai was just about to go out in search of someone new when you arrived. You have great timing. I hate it when Dai leaves. He always feels the need to sample the wares, and I can't have that." She smiled brightly. "You really did me a big favor, you know."

"So, I'm to entertain 'your boys'?"

"Yes. About thirty of them. Not all at the same time, of course. Fifteen an evening is about all you'll be able to manage."

Sakura gulped as she realized exactly what the calm-voiced, auburn-haired woman was speaking of.

"You want me to _prostitute_ myself?" For a moment, rational thought escaped her as she strained against the shackles encasing her wrists. She could tell the bindings were made of ordinary iron, but they didn't give at all. Iron was just a mineral—a nearly effortless tap of her wrist against the shackle should be enough to crush it to dust. There was obviously something wrong with her chakra. Sakura felt it moving within her, as always—it certainly wasn't any more drained than she expected, given her long hike—but somehow, she couldn't access and direct it as needed.

_Damn it._

Rumiko chuckled at Sakura's efforts, as well as at her choice of terminology. "I wouldn't call it that. Prostitutes get paid. Think of this as more of an unpaid internship. If things go well, I'll take you back to Yukikagure with me. In fact, if circumstances had been different, I would have invited you directly, instead of pressing you into service. When you do come to Yukikagure you'll be paid, of course-- handsomely. You could cultivate quite a clientele with your unusual coloring. But I won't call you a prostitute then, either. My girls are nothing like a common streetwalker. They're true professionals, and respected as such. They prefer the term, 'companion'. It's much more discreet, don't you think?"

So, Rumiko was a madam. She seemed far too elegant for such an unseemly job.

"What makes you think I would want to go on to Yukikagure with you?" Sakura voiced her incredulity.

"What else do you have to look forward to? You've left your husband, and it seems pretty obvious that you've led a life of luxury until now. Pretty girls don't usually realize how good they've got it until it's gone. How will you support yourself in the manner to which you've grown accustomed? Men typically don't want another's sloppy seconds."

Sakura nearly laughed and struggled to maintain a neutral façade. Inside, though, she giggled unrestrainedly. Luxury? When? Where? When she camped on rock-strewn soil or in leaky tents? When she plucked plump leeches from her flesh after delightfully refreshing tramps through a warm, fetid swamps? When she removed deeply embedded senbon, kunai and shuriken from the flesh of her companions? How could she possibly give others the impression that she was pampered? She needed to find out, she realized.

_Second, ask questions that further any conversation, and if possible, refocus the conversation on your captor._

"You think that I'm…rich?"

"The rich never think of themselves that way, so I can see why you'd be surprised by that appellation. Maybe you're not as wealthy as some, but I can tell by looking at you that you've led the life of a princess. You're in great shape—" At this, Rumiko glanced along Sakura's body, which, the kunoichi realized for the first time, was clad only in her undergarments. "You're one of those girls who spends half of each day at the gym and the other half dining and shopping with her girlfriends, aren't you? I'll bet you even have a woman come in to do the cleaning."

_This woman obviously doesn't have a clue about who or what I am. Once again, I've been underestimated._

_So? Sakura! Use this to your advantage. _

There was that inner voice again, but it was welcome this time.Sakura struggled with herself not to correct the woman. It would be so very satisfying to do so. Instead, she offered more neutral words, in an effort to get the woman to continue. The more she talked, the more Sakura would learn. "Just what makes you conclude all this?"

"Because I lived that life myself. I can see a bit of myself in you. I grew up in complete luxury and threw it away. I didn't want to be taken care of—I wanted to make my own way in the world. And I certainly didn't want to be the property of some man, protected and coddled like a porcelain doll. First, I trained as a maiko, because I was told I had the looks for it, but I realized there were much better ways to make money entertaining men. Eventually, I started my own business. By then my brother was pretty well-established, and saw that I had the skills to be successful managing others, so he asked me to join him in running his companies. It turns out I'm pretty good at clean-up-- Eki usually calls me in when things are behind schedule or other problems surface. This particular situation is one of them. The factory should have been completed a month ago, but it was sabotaged. Our customers are chomping at the bit, as we can't currently supply all of their requests." Rumiko sighed. "I'd rather be back with my girls in Yukikagure , in a modern, clean city. I hate these woods."

Rumiko paused for a moment, lost in thought, then refocused her attention on Sakura. "But back to you. Your bra and panties came from Noriko's Secret, didn't they? I recognize the style—my girls shop there. Not too many other people can afford Noriko's prices, however. It looks like hubby was taking pretty good care of you. Are you regretting leaving him? Just what was the fight about, anyway? Did he forget to buy you the diamond earrings you asked for?" Rumiko smiled, but not cruelly. Her demeanor was that of the older sister with hard-earned advice to impart.

"That wasn't it at all." Sakura's voice rose in pitch, as her eyes welled up with tears. "Where are my clothes, anyway? What did you do to me while I was out?"

"You were sweating, so I took them off. I needed to take a good look at you, anyway."

Sakura blushed, then blanched. It was beyond humiliating to be treated like a piece of meat, and Rumiko, despite her sisterly air, and matter-of-fact voice was doing just that. And how often had she been treated like a commodity in the past month? It was infuriating. Sakura felt her temper beginning to flare, and did her best to subdue it by thinking of the mission she'd been thrown into. Her job right now was to get the information she needed to escape. She thought again of her training.

_Third, find out what is likely to happen to you, and any associated time frame. The more data you gather, the better informed your plan will be._

"What happened to the last comfort woman?" Sakura was pretty sure she knew the answer, but she might as well ask.

"Oh. She ran away. But Dai caught up with her. There's a reason I keep him around, you know."

"Oh. And when will the boys be coming?"

"Not until nightfall, when their shift ends. I recommend getting a bit more sleep before then—you'll need it. I'll wake you in time to get ready."

Rumiko stood and stretched as she prepared to leave, then chuckled again.

"So, tell me. What was it?"

"What was _what_?" Sakura had had enough, and her instinct told her that even the girl she was pretending to be would react similarly under these circumstances.

"Why did you leave?"

"Who exactly do you think you are? You drug me and chain me up, you're planning on whoring me out in a couple of hours, and now you're pretending to be my marriage counselor? It's none of your damn business why I left." This must be some method Rumiko had devised to break the spirit of new "comfort women." Perhaps her intent was to torture Sakura into submission using only kindness and sisterly devotion. Frighteningly enough, her plan appeared to be working.

"He cheated on you."

"No! He didn't! He would never…" Sakura's words were strangled by the sob she emitted.

Rumiko's face softened. "You still love him."

Sakura nodded, eyes closed, as she tried to collect herself. She loved him. It didn't hurt to admit that.

"He likes boys, doesn't he." Rumiko smiled in satisfaction. That had to be it.

Sakura laughed softly. This woman just wasn't going to give up. "No, he likes little girls." Her statement was punctuated by rustling, sliding noise, originating from somewhere above them, followed by a very loud thump.

Rumiko jumped up and pulled open the door leading into the adjoining kitchen. "Dai?! Is there someone outside?" She turned back to Sakura, but not before the kunoichi noted the kamon embroidered in gold on the back of the russet brown kimono the older woman wore. Unlike most kamon, it wasn't round in shape, but triangular, and it had a very familiar image of a stylized dragon within it.

Rumiko giggled nervously as she stood in the doorway and addressed Sakura. "Not to worry. It's probably just a large squirrel. Or a small bear. I hate it here."

…o…o…o…o…

Kakashi brushed himself off as he scrambled to his feet, then quickly made the seals that would put some distance between him and the cottage. He relocated to the upper branches of a tall pine, about 100 meters away from the house, and swore out loud.

How could she think he was into little girls?

She hadn't been lying—he was certain of that. The tone of her voice as she'd dropped this bomb left no doubt in his mind. This was why she had left him.

It all made sense now, a twisted, Sakura kind of sense, to be sure, but once Kakashi wrapped his mind around the tortured logic, the pieces did fit together. Sakura was under the impression that he wasn't in love with her, but with the girl he'd met twelve years earlier. No wonder she'd run away. No wonder she had looked at him in horror as she'd come to the mistaken realization that she was in love with the real thing—not a soft-porn loving quasi-hentai, but someone perverted in the most fundamental sense of the word. Someone who preyed on children.

Yet despite all this, she was still in love with him.

He would have laughed had the situation not been so grave. A simple conversation could clear all this up. But Sakura was in danger at the moment—the teary-eyed reunion would have to wait. The Santaku family was powerful and its members did not hesitate to "clean things" up as the woman, Rumiko had euphemized. There had been a moment when Kakashi might have jumped into the room and rescued Sakura. But then she'd literally knocked him off his feet with her words, and he was lucky to have gotten away without detection. He'd nearly removed the element of surprise from the equation, and as it was a key variable in any rescue attempt, it would be unsafe to return immediately to the cottage to collect Sakura. He leaned against the tree's rough bark and began to ponder a more strategic approach.

The new facility the Santaku woman had spoken of would need to be taken down. That counted as tying up loose ends from the previous mission, and was therefore not an optional activity. There should have been no survivors last time, so he felt no guilt about the additional blood that would soon be staining his hands. Besides, he reasoned, any workers who happened to be in the new building when it collapsed would be "boys" who would be deprived of the pleasure of gaping at Sakura. Kakashi couldn't bring himself to imagine more than that.

He had until nightfall to set his plan into motion. From what he'd heard, Sakura would be safe from predation until then. Kakashi headed out into the woods, in search of the new factory and its unwitting crew.


	40. Reconnaissance

_Disclaimer: Naruto and associated characters are property of Masashi Kishimoto. They are not my property!_

**Fourteen Dates **

_Author's note: Wow. Forty chapters. Over 177,000 words—the most I've ever written. (Actually, everything I've ever written is posted on this site.) Sadly, this story is coming to an end. ("Finally," some might say!) Only three dates left…but I won't be rushing things. I seem to be constitutionally incapable of that. I think there are at least five or six chapters left after this one. A good portion of this chapter focuses on Kakashi's thoughts, so that may please some of you. On the other hand, he's thinking about a whole lot of technical stuff, so it may put you to sleep. It's just what I thought a ninja of his caliber would be considering, given the situation. Hope that part's not too boring! The rest of the chapter focuses on Sakura finally getting a clue. It's really about time, isn't it?_

**Chapter 40: Reconnaissance **

Kakashi found the factory easily. As before, there was no genjutsu to obscure its location, indicating that Santaku, as usual, had foregone the use of Snow's ninja. That wasn't surprising, really. Snow was so xenophobic that its hidden village typically refused to take on missions outside its nation's borders. Furthermore, apart from the rogue ninja he'd encountered years earlier (who had all met their demise), Snow's ninja did not work with the criminal element. And Santaku, for all the luxurious and legitimate hotels he owned in Snow, was nothing if not a criminal.

The lack of ninja would certainly make Kakashi's job easier. Snow's shinobi, after all, had worn chakra-enhancing armor when Kakashi and team seven had fought them twelve years prior. Who could guess what new weaponry had been bestowed on them since? Without Yukigakure's assistance, Santaku's men (even if they were a small army) should be easily outmaneuvered by the renowned copy ninja. At best, Santaku's men (the word "boys" made Kakashi's skin crawl) might be ronin, liegeless samurai. Their skills would therefore be limited to armed combat. It seemed much more likely, however, that the bulk of them would be ordinary thugs, bound to the Santaku family by blood ties or past criminal acts.

Kakashi alighted on the flat, graveled roof of the large, low structure that served as replacement for the one he had leveled weeks earlier. It was amazing that in just a few weeks time the workers had been able to duplicate such a structure. He might be mistaken (it was unlikely, but possible), but Kakashi was fairly certain this building was even larger than the last. It was certainly much closer to completion than the previous building, and it seemed to be more sophisticated. It was curious that Santaku would have upped the ante in this way, but perhaps he had reason to. Hadn't Sakura's captor mentioned something about high demand? There were no roads (apart from a faint dirt trail) leading to the structure; it must have been back-breaking work to haul in the tons of materials used in the factory's construction. The cost to have done so must be astronomical. This spoke volumes about the importance of this facility to the Santaku family, as well as the amount of revenue it was likely to generate.

Unlike the previous building, this low structure had many metal chimneys dotting its roof, to provide the high level of ventilation such a place needed. After quickly surveying the area and considering the line of sight for each of the five guards patrolling the perimeter of the building, Kakashi moved to the very center of the roof and leaned against one of these wide, shiny tubes. He looked around carefully as he considered the probable layout of the building. Based on the arrangement of these chimneys, and his knowledge of the process likely to be used here, there was probably a series of three labs below, each dedicated to a different task. The preliminary laboratory should be under the least concentrated area of chimneys. Here was where the raw plant material, the fruit of an innocent looking flower, was first treated to separate and concentrate its active ingredient. Later, the gummy product would be reacted with highly volatile chemicals to purify it further. This was highly dangerous, as a single spark in proximity to these fumes could blow the building and its occupants to bits. The former was probably more important to Santaku, however, considering the investment he'd made in this structure, and the reputation he had for disposing of troublemakers. Kakashi noted the wider chimneys and associated fans located some distance away from where he stood. A steel-walled, bunker-like space had probably been put in place below. It would therefore not be the best room to target first. A series of exploding tags would barely dent a wall constructed in such a manner. A chain reaction of explosions, however, would. It should therefore be the final link in his planned takedown of the building.

The final step of production, Kakashi knew, was the reaction of the purified material with a noxious, corrosive chemical that would convert its molecular structure. The lab dedicated to this step, he decided, would be his first target, as the finished product would likely be stored nearby. Additionally, this final step of production did not involve explosive reagents. The walls of the lab, therefore, would likely be of standard construction and easier to take down.

In preparing for his initial trip, Kakashi had found out all that he could about Santaku and his drug-related history, as well as the history of the drugs he trafficked in. Snow's chemists, he learned, had accidentally developed the procedure to be used in this factory in an attempt to lessen the addictive nature of the chemical that oozed out of the small, green, valuable fruits. The drug contained within the sap and seeds of this plant was a powerful pain killer and quite useful during and after traditional surgeries, but its major drawback was that patients treated with it often became hooked. Apart from its painkilling abilities, the drug induced a feeling of tremendous well-being, and an irresistible craving to continue that feeling at any cost. A less addictive substitute, therefore, would be welcome, and several companies had competed to bring such a product to market. In the technology-driven environment of Snow, they quickly succeeded. At first, the modified drug was sold as a miracle form of the natural painkiller, good for ailments as minor as sleeplessness or nausea, but it quickly became clear that patients using it in place of the original drug were soon worse off than before. It was at least twice as potent, producing even greater feelings of euphoria, and ten times as addictive as the original. The companies producing this "miracle drug" went bankrupt, their heads of staff and chief chemists were imprisoned, and the knowledge they'd developed was thought to be lost.

Santaku, however, had contacts in each of Snow's prisons, from lowly guards to wardens. Although he couldn't find a way to set free the bearers of this knowledge, the entrepreneur did everything in his power to make their imprisonment more comfortable than might have been imagined. In return he gained the knowledge he needed to create a niche market, and a product that people would kill for.

Interestingly, Santaku had appeared to have made the decision not to market his product in his native country. This was most likely because the laws were more stringent there than in neighboring countries, and it also seemed that Santaku liked the patina of respectability he'd acquired in Snow while pursuing his legitimate interests. He therefore imported his raw material from the Sound-ravaged former country of Field. The valleys hidden among its many small mountains were the perfect place to grow an illicit crop, and Field's long-impoverished residents were eager to grow such a profitable crop, no matter its intended use.

Apparently, Santaku had chosen Fire as a site for extraction and refinement of the drug. This was likely due to its proximity to both Snow and Field. The raw materials needed could be shipped directly from Field to Fire, without ever crossing Snow's borders. The chosen location's distance from the hidden village of Leaf and the absence of a daimyo in this isolated area of the country were other obvious advantages of siting here.

There had been murmurs in the past year about a highly addictive drug being sold discreetly in gambling halls and pachinko parlors. Tsunade herself had been among the first to hear these rumors, though this wasn't surprising, given the amount of time she spent in such places. This talk had concerned her greatly. It was one thing for shinobi to drown their problems with alcohol. She knew all too well the considerable long-term effects of doing so. But it was completely another matter to escape from ones problems with the help of an addictive, deadly drug. Those who did so would be unfit for duty, as well as for any other aspect of a normal life. Tsunade had called Kakashi to her office immediately after learning of this impending problem, and had assigned him head of the mission to prevent the spread of such a drug. It was a huge task, she knew, but one she was sure the copy ninja could handle, if any one could.

The fact that the drug was localized to these places of gambling suggested Santaku's involvement. He owned the majority of such places in all countries that allowed foreign ownership of businesses. In countries that did not permit such ownership, such as Fire and Sand, it was rumored that Santaku used locals as a front. What's more the rumors had originated in gambling dens thought to be owned by Santaku. But despite the entrepreneur's near stranglehold on the gambling business, there hadn't been much talk of addiction of yet. This observation was intriguing. With his wide network of businesses, Santaku had a first class distribution network. If he wasn't selling large quantities of the drug in question, it must be because he wasn't able to. Yet.

This was what Kakashi had suggested to Tsunade, anyway. Santaku was a business man at heart, and would take any opportunity to make a profit. If he _could_ be selling, he _would_ be. Therefore there must some problem in his supply chain. Kakashi had suggested a solo reconnaissance of northern Fire, along with a suggestion that Tsunade contact the allied nations that bordered Snow with a request that they do the same. Kakashi had taken on the mission with his customary single-mindedness. He been gone for months, but had finally found and destroyed the huge factory he'd expected.

It was imperative that this new structure be taken down, as well. The danger it represented to not only shinobi but to the people of Konoha, Fire, and the allied nations was almost unspeakable.

Kakashi crouched on the roof as he sorted through his kunai pouch in search of his collection of explosive tags. He'd had ample time to examine the structure of the previous building, as it had been left completely empty and unguarded at night. This newer building, though larger, appeared to have the same general structure as the last. Thick walls of concrete block reinforced (he'd learned later) with iron rebar had comprised the outer shell of the first factory. Its roof was supported by a series of piers spaced at 10 meter intervals throughout the space. The walls of the inner rooms were mere partitions. This should be true of the new building as well, for all rooms except those of the second, steel-reinforced laboratory. The flimsy walls within most of the building would crumble under the slightest stress.

Kakashi's first job would be to bring the roof down, crushing any equipment that had been installed. The second job would be to raze as much of the outer structure as possible. Tags placed on two parallel, linear series of piers would accomplish the destruction of the roof. Considering the size of this new structure, he estimated that he'd require twenty tags to accomplish that task. The remaining twenty would be placed as far from the most structurally sound components of the outer walls as possible—away from corners and visibly over-engineered portions of the wall. He'd noticed in his last attempt that the walls surrounding the windows and doorways were stronger than he'd expected. They'd sustained very little damage despite proximity to the explosive tags. He assumed they were reinforced in this case, as well. Better to target the long, unbroken stretches of cinder block, then. Twenty tags would probably take down the bulk of the structure, though they wouldn't do as much damage as he'd like. He could certainly make more, but to write each out took considerable time, time he didn't have, once he placed Sakura into the equation. He needed to be back at the cottage well before nightfall. That left just a couple of hours to complete this task.

Sakura. She had looked so fragile as she slept. He'd surprised himself when he realized that the actual sight of her in chains wasn't as big of a turn-on as he might have imagined. Well, to be honest he _had_ imagined it several times. But the reality in no way corresponded to the fantasy, most likely because he hadn't been the one to enshackle her in this real-life situation, and also because he never would have done so without her permission. That was what it was all about, he realized. Permission, and trust. He'd been lost for so long in his own private fantasies and the worlds of _Icha, Icha_ that he had never really considered the difference between a flight of his imagination, where no one else was involved, and the real word, where another could be hurt. He'd never endeavored to make his fantasies real before falling in love with Sakura, so he'd had no need to consider how real-life might differ from the worlds he was used to. After the initial shock of her confession to Rumiko, Kakashi had laughed at the tiny scale of the misunderstanding that had derailed his relationship with Sakura. It would be easy to fix, he thought. She had completely overreacted, as was typical for her. But now he saw things differently. Sakura had been devastated when she concluded that he wasn't in love with her, but with her former self. This was undoubtedly because she'd felt betrayed, as if he'd been using her like the inflatable doll they'd joked about. No wonder she'd left. She thought he'd abused her trust.

But he felt hurt, too, he realized, because she'd abandoned her trust of _him_. That she'd thought he would do something so low as fantasize about a twelve-year old pained him. That she thought he'd want to secretly live this fantasy through her sickened him. The idea that she'd seen their long relationship in a new and completely unflattering light, in which every innocent action was besmirched with the filth of a sick desire and reinterpreted through the distorted lens of true perversion—this idea disheartened him. Did she really think so little of him?

Yes, he was a hentai, in the most common sense of the word. Everyone knew he read and enjoyed dirty books. But really, it wasn't as bad as everyone assumed. They were romance novels, really—spicy, graphically depicted romance novels to be sure, but plain vanilla in their content. Apart from the occasional threesome or foursome, that is, and the light bondage, girl on girl scenes, and other, slightly more daring acts. Okay, so they weren't plain vanilla. Not even chocolate. But in them, no one got hurt. Everything was consensual, and everything was between equals-- between adults. Definitely between adults. Kakashi sighed. Of course, Sakura wouldn't know this, having read only parts of one novel. A novel in which a sixteen-year-old got it on with her uncle's close friend.

_Kuso. That damn Jiraiya._

Kakashi saw that he'd probably pushed her too far, too fast. Sex in a public place, with accessories, was probably a bit too much for a recent virgin to handle. He should have gone more slowly. But she'd been so incredibly alluring, and so willing to go along with his every wish that he hadn't been able to stop himself. She'd even teased him, taunting him with her beautiful naked figure in front of others. There was no way he could have stopped himself from proceeding as he had. She was everything he'd ever wanted, after all.

And she was a kunoichi, wasn't she, a shinobi trained in the arts of seduction?

_Yes. But she's Sakura. Innocent, straightforward, slightly prudish Sakura. She probably skipped those classes at the academy. _

Kakashi chuckled at the thought of his straight A, punctilious student cutting class. But he wouldn't have put it past her. He really should have taken things more slowly. He'd do better, once they fixed things. He sighed as he thought of the long road ahead of them.

At first, he had thought their reconciliation would be easy. In the small amount of time he spent searching for the new factory, brief daydreams of their reunion had drifted into his mind, to be replaced by more and more satisfactory ones. He'd charge in and sweep her off her feet, after breaking her bonds single-handedly. He'd mow down her aggressors and she would fall into his arms. They'd share a passionate kiss. Perhaps they'd make love right there on the spot. Their physical reunion in the very place intended to demean and abuse her would wash away the feelings of fear and helplessness she undoubtedly felt. And it would wash away the feelings he felt as he considered her, even unwillingly, in the arms of another. He would reclaim her as his own, and he knew she would be willing. Then everything would go back to the way it had been— their relationship would resume itself with the level of intimacy, both physical and emotional, that he'd experienced with no other.

He saw now that their immediate relationship would be nothing like the fantasy he had painted. It would take work on both of their parts to reestablish the trust that had been damaged on both sides. But he knew that he would take on this task willingly. He wouldn't let her go without a fight. He'd approach this as a mission. He'd think strategically, considering all courses of action and potential outcomes. He'd put his plan into action, and then she'd be his again. He would win. He was known for his successes, not his failures, after all.

Kakashi rose from his crouch when he heard a ringing and low rumbling below him. A small group of workers filed outside in a single line, then broke off into small clusters. Not surprisingly, the construction crew was highly regimented while at work. This, however, was apparently their mid-afternoon break. Some lit cigarettes, while others removed their protective helmets and wiped sweat from their brows. It was the perfect time to infiltrate the enemy, Kakashi saw. He could lure any one of them away, take him down silently, and take his place. Then he'd target his true candidate. This man should be someone with full access to the building, and the ability to come and go at will. The foreman, perhaps, or a guard assigned to duties within the building. Kakashi spotted the likely head of construction, who appeared to be engaged in a strident conversation with several subordinates. The copy ninja smiled as he bided his time. Soon an underling moved off into the shrubbery, for reasons unknown. Kakashi grinned. He wouldn't even need to devise a plan to get one of the men alone. He formed the seals that would take him to this man's side, then moved in for the kill.

…o…o…o…o…

Sakura lay in bed for a good two hours before she came up with even the beginnings of a plan to escape. First she cried, then let her imagination run wild with thoughts of the evening to come. She was too unnerved by the thought of involuntarily giving herself to over a dozen "boys" to think clearly. Her inner dialogue became fierce, however, as her panic grew.

_Think! Think, Sakura. You're a ninja, for pity's sake._

_Ninjas depend on their hands and their chakra. I have access to neither. How can I make hand seals? I can't even send chakra to my fists to break these chains. The chakra keeps slipping out of my grasp._

_No. Your brain is your greatest weapon. Stop and consider the facts of the situation. All of the facts. You've only mentioned two, and you're letting your emotions spiral out of control. It isn't helping, baka._

Sakura did her best to calm herself, taking deep breaths and imagining herself in a peaceful place. Not surprisingly, the places her mind drifted to were those where she'd spent time with Kakashi. The days they'd spent together had been the best ones of her life. She'd felt complete when she was with him, she realized, and totally at peace with herself and the world. And she knew that he felt the same. She felt her heart's rapid pace slow as she thought of him and all that he meant to her.

_Why did you do this? Why did you leave him?_

Her actions had been rash, and stupid in retrospect. He loved her. It was so clear that he did. Hadn't he deserved a calm, thoughtful hearing before she'd run off? No, not a hearing. Not a one-sided judgment. A conversation was what he deserved. A chance for them to talk quietly about their problems and to listen to each other.

_You're finally listening to me._

_Yeah. I guess I am. So?_

_Then listen, now, and listen carefully. You don't have time to moon over your lover. You need to come up with a plan._

_Maybe he'll rescue me._

_Are you kidding? He may have no idea where you are. And what makes you think he'd come after you after the way you treated him?_

_He loves me._

_Right. And you love him. But that doesn't explain your actions. And you can't predict how he'll act in return._

_Stop it._

_You've always made such a big deal about your independence. Now's your chance to prove that you're the person you've always wanted to be. Then_ you _can find_ him_, and fix things. For now, Sakura, you need to think about the immediate future. Get to work!_

So, what were the facts related to her current condition? Her wrists were bound, and she was unable to break the thick iron cuffs that held them. No, to be more precise, she couldn't _currently_ break them. And she currently couldn't control her chakra. At least, she couldn't direct its flow.

What else? The two persons in the next room appeared to have no idea she was a shinobi. She therefore had the element of surprise on her side. She was pretty-well rested, considering the energy she'd expended. If she did regain control of her chakra, she should be able to escape.

But that really wouldn't be enough, would it? It would be much better to take the two of them down. This meant she would need to get moving before "the boys" arrived. What time was it now? She really had no idea, as the one grimy window allowed little light to pass through. She'd need to assume the worst and work as fast as she could.

But what exactly was she supposed to do? She seemed to be trapped in a vicious circle. She couldn't unbind her wrists without chakra, and even if she'd had control of her chakra, she wouldn't be able to direct it without the use of her hands.

_Back up. You're jumping to conclusions again. Are you sure you don't have any control of your chakra? __It's been a while since you checked._

Sakura focused her concentration on the swirl of chakra within her, urging even a tendril of it to move toward her fingers. To her surprise it did move. Just the tiniest tendril—not anywhere near enough to accomplish a jutsu, let alone crack the iron bracelets that bound her. She sighed. What good could this do? At the rate her chakra was returning, it would be many hours until she'd have enough to break free.

_Think, Sakura. How can you increase it?_

_That's easy. It must be the drug Rumiko gave me that's holding it back. I can eliminate the drug by targeting my liver-- the same as I did for Kakashi when he was so drunk. I just need to speed up its metabolism a bit._

But how could she do this without her hands? They were, after all, a medic's toolkit—her scalpel, her clamps, her stethescope. Even with her normally excellent chakra control, she was useless without these tools.

_Chakra control._

It finally hit her. She smiled as she remembered the advanced lesson Kakashi had given her, the lesson that had introduced her to a novel use for chakra. She didn't need her hands at all. Sakura focused again, urging the tiny tendril of controllable chakra to her liver. She immediately felt her cells respond, and as they began to work overtime, she felt her control increase by minute increments. It was a positive feedback loop: the more of the drug she broke down, the more chakra she could control. And the more chakra, the less drug remained in her system. A not so vicious circle, this time.

Sakura's eyes closed as she continued to heal herself. It wouldn't take long—her control seemed to be doubling every minute or so.

"Sakura?" It was Rumiko. The woman stood in the doorway, hairbrush, kimono, and stack of towels in hand.

_Kuso!_

"It's time we prepared you. The boys will be here any minute."

Sakura's heart raced.

_Stay focused! You can still heal yourself while she does whatever it is you do to prep a whore for her big night._

_A whore? A whore?! Why is this happening?_

"Sakura, I'm going to release you from your shackles for just a moment. You need to know that Dai is standing just outside the room with his crossbow. He's an excellent shot, and with only a word from me he'll be after you. Please don't do anything stupid. Just remember that you have a future after this."

Damn that woman. She actually looked remorseful.

Sakura nodded her understanding and held out her wrists, all the while urging her chakra to continue its work. Rumiko unbound her and asked her to take off her undergarments. "You won't be needing them," she explained. "Put this on for a moment." Sakura slipped on the simple yukata Rumiko held out, testing her chakra as she did so.

Still too weak.

"Dai? Bring in the water." The door opened, and the kindly-looking man Sakura had seen hours earlier backed in, dragging a large washtub of water. He looked at Sakura with an appraising smile, then quickly turned away, shutting the door behind him.

"Get in. You can kneel. I really should wash your hair—it's still filled with pine needles. But there isn't time."

Sakura looked toward the grimy window. The light did seem to be getting dimmer. She got in the tub and did her best to be compliant as Rumiko washed her down with a dampened sea sponge.

"In my establishment," she said softly, "we make the first night special for our girls. If you were there instead of in this miserable place, we'd take you to a spa, and completely pamper you. I'm afraid this doesn't compare." Sakura held up her arms at Rumiko's direction, as the woman continued to wash off the grime accrued from hours of travel. Sakura's mind flashed to the expression of near terror she'd seen on Kakashi's face when she'd intruded, weeks before, on the nurses intent on giving him a sponge bath. She felt the same, she realized.

It seemed like ages ago that she had come upon him in the woods and unleashed this chain of events. He'd been nearly dead, but had done his best to take out the enemy before dying. Rumiko turned away to grab for a towel, and on the back of her elegant kimono Sakura again saw the kamon she recognized as Santaku's. She startled, as she remembered just where she'd seen that seal before. The tattoo on Kakashi's attackers—it had been identical. No wonder he knew this part of Fire so well. It had to have been he who destroyed the large building she'd come across.

_Maybe he knows I'm in danger. Maybe he's coming. Please, please make him come. I don't think I can do this alone._

"Honestly, though, I'm not sure why I'm bothering with this. Those men will be happy that you're simply alive, and female. They really don't deserve someone like you." Sakura's look of fear must have been apparent to the woman, for she continued, "I shouldn't have said that. Just pretend you're somewhere else, and it will be over before you know it. Come on out. You can towel yourself off."

In moments, Sakura was back in shackles, although now she was covered in the thin yukata. It had no obi, however, not even a simple tie. It therefore hung open. She clutched it against her, as best she could. At least Rumiko had kept her arms in front of her. But the cuffs were too close together to allow her hands to move into a position where she could form seals.

"Ah. The boys are arriving." Rumiko quickly brushed Sakura's hair clean of the needles still stuck in it, and ran her fingers through to fluff it. She then smiled, satisfied with her work.

Sakura measured her chakra again. Still too weak to break the shackles, but steadily strengthening.

"I'll be taking you out there, just to give them a peek. It helps the impatient ones a bit to see what they're waiting for. Well, shall we?"

She held Sakura's arm as she guided the reluctant woman through the tiny kitchen into an equally small living area. There were already several men in the room, and more quickly filed in, each giving her leering looks and comments to match. The rear was brought up by the largest man of all, an intimidating example of the effects of excess bodily testosterone. Worse, still, he seemed to be in charge. The man pushed his way to the room's only couch, ignoring its current occupants, who quickly scurried out of his way.

_Kakashi, please don't hate me for this._

Would he even want her after these animals were through with her? Assuming he forgave her first for leaving, that is?

_Stop it, Sakura! This is not the time for self pity. You need a plan, and fast. You need to stall._

That was it. Stall for a while, then go back into the room with the smallest, puniest "boy" she could find, wring his neck and run for her life. It probably wasn't the best plan. Hell, it wasn't even a good plan, but it was all she could think of at the moment.

"Are we all here?" Rumiko's voice was cheerful, but authoritative, as Sakura imagined a madam's might be. Fifteen men had crowded inside the room, and Sakura could see several others gathered on the small porch. They looked like guards of some type. That would certainly influence her get-away plans.

"This is Sakura, your new comfort woman. Sakura, would you turn around slowly, so that all of the boys can see you?"

Sakura did as requested, feeling more like a piece of meat than she ever had before. She felt her cheeks burn with shame, but held her head high.

"Now open your robe."

Damn it. This was going faster than she'd expected—how could she get more time? She might as well humiliate herself further. Sakura opened the robe, but slowly. Excruciatingly slowly. Then men howled and whistled as she did so, in eager approval of her impromptu strip-tease. She mustered a shy smile as she lowered the robe to rest below her shoulders, exposing first the upper curve of her breasts, then their entirety. She dropped the robe to her elbows to show her finely sculpted abdomen and waist, then took a deep breath as she prepared to open it completely.

"I'm first. I want her _now_." Sakura looked up, eyes wide, to see the "boy" she feared most speaking in a rumbling bass voice. She clutched the robe around her as she paled in terror.

"I'm afraid that won't be possible, Dekai. You were too rough with the last girl. You're the reason she ran away. You can have her last." The eyes of the other fourteen "boys" in the room turned first to Rumiko, then to the oversized man on the couch, but most averted their eyes as they did so. He was someone to be feared, apparently, by both males and females.

The hulking man rose from his seat and cleared his throat, then crossed the room in a mere two strides. He grabbed Sakura's arm and said in a softer, but still somewhat threatening voice, "I'll be gentle. Promise."

A reluctant Rumiko held out the key to Sakura's shackles and quickly stepped aside. Then, with a compassionate look at her frightened comfort woman, she hoped for the best.


	41. Rescue

_Disclaimer: Naruto and associated characters are property of Masashi Kishimoto. They are not my property!_

**Fourteen Dates **

_Author's note: A long chapter. More technical stuff at the start, but there's been a lot of this in the story so far. So, if you've read this far you must be tolerating it, right? Or maybe you're just skipping over it, in search of the good stuff. Not to worry, it will follow after the first few paragraphs. I hope it meets your expectations!_

_  
Thank you again to everyone who has taken the time to review. It is hard to explain how encouraging it is to see that people have opinions about this story, and that they're willing to give up a bit of their time to let me know. I can see that I have improved as a writer in the past 40+ chapters, which makes sense, I think. The more you do something, the more opportunity there is for improvement, and until fairly recently, I hadn't done this writing thing at all. I know I would not have written this much if I wasn't posting it for you all to see and respond to. It's difficult to gauge how you're doing when you keep things to yourself, and for me, it's hard to stay motivated when I do so. Without knowing that people are reading I would have become bored with this little project quite a while ago, and I probably would have given up. (I have a bit of a history to support this assertion—I tend to become completely infatuated with a new idea or hobby, go great guns for a while, then become bored and move on, etc.) I think it says something very negative about my personality that I am so extrinsically motivated, but I am who I am, and there's something to be said for being honest with oneself. At least, that's what I've heard. So, thank you for your reviews! I really mean it when I say that your words make a difference to me._

**Chapter 41: Rescue **

It took far too long to get things ready. Taking the place of the foreman had been a snap, of course, but that had been the least of his concerns. Kakashi had been cautious, carefully watching the man for a good half hour before doing him in. With the help of the Sharingan eye and his own eidetic memory, he'd memorized the man's gait, the way he held his body, the way he invaded other people's space when conversing (or to be more precise, yelling), and the many gestures he made when doing so. And as usual, Kakashi found that once he'd performed the henge jutsu, the victim's own physical characteristics made the shinobi's job of mimicking the timbre and overall quality of his voice a simple matter.

As the foreman, Kakashi had unrestricted access to the building in progress, and the copy ninja was pleased (although not really surprised) to find out that its layout was as almost exactly as he had surmised. The large, warehouse-like space was divided into three major laboratories, each room open to the ceiling which rested on large steel columns still unclad by lath and plaster. Kakashi was even more pleased to see that the columns were in the process of being inspected. Tall ladders were scattered throughout the building, providing ready, unremarkable access to the structures. (It wouldn't do to be seen walking up the side of each column, after all.) Kakashi quickly decided that a seal placed about halfway up each riveted metal support would provide maximal damage, considering that the bases were far wider than the top of each column. It would be a small matter to apply the seals, and he'd set to work immediately on this job, camouflaging each thin rectangle of paper to resemble a small inspection tag. Using thin threads of chakra, he'd linked the seals together into a web-like network as he moved from column to column—a remote jutsu he was particularly fond of would cause the explosives to detonate within split seconds of each other.

That aspect of his task hadn't taken long at all—only an hour to distribute the explosives in the most efficiently destructive manner possible. What had been time-consuming was preparing the perimeter. The walls were slightly thicker than he expected, which shouldn't have been too much of a problem, but their inner surfaces were already framed and sheathed with plaster. Placing the explosives on these non-structural components would dampen, significantly, the effect of the explosion. They would certainly rip a large hole in the wall were he to place them there, but holes could be repaired. Kakashi wanted the building to be leveled by his actions. To do so, each seal would need to be sunk into the concrete blocks comprising the wall. But whether or not to place the seals on the interior walls was a moot decision, he'd realized as he'd quickly determined that access to the inner side of these walls was severely limited. The building's outer structure was ringed internally by a contiguous series of rooms. Only a few of these rooms were empty. The rest were crammed full with the equipment, glassware and machinery that would soon be installed in the three large laboratories.

He'd seen this as good news, in part. While the construction of this building was most likely undertaken at enormous expense, the specialized, and undoubtedly custom-made equipment to be housed by the building most likely matched that cost. That these materials were already here, just waiting to be destroyed along with the near-finished factory was a stroke of good fortune. Their loss would most likely make immediate reconstruction of the site impossible. The factory building and its contents were not likely to be insured, after all, as underwriters tended to be a law abiding lot, and even with his immensely deep pockets, Santaku still was required to pay attention to the bottom line. Kakashi did not doubt that in time the family would rebuild, but the longer it took them to do so, the better Fire would be prepared to combat the inevitable deluge of drugs within its borders.

The presence of all of this equipment, jam-packed to form a glass and metal annulus, had been bad news, as well. Slapping the seals onto the equipment itself so was unlikely to take down the outer walls—the most critical step in the building's deconstruction. Kakashi quickly realized he would need to apply the seals to the outside of the building. That would be troublesome, as the outer perimeter of the building was well guarded, and again, it would take time to sink each seal into the concrete blocks making up the outer walls. While his visits to nearly every column inside the structure hadn't seemed out of the ordinary, Kakashi had a feeling that this wouldn't be true outside of the structure. Spending two to four minutes at each of the twenty places he'd targeted would likely be viewed with suspicion, even if he claimed to be doing some type of inspection.

He'd quickly considered his options. He could use the Kakuremino jutsu, as he could transform any spare object into a camoflaged piece of cloth, but the truth was this E-ranked jutsu definitely deserved its beginners' ranking. Even in the hands of a master technical specialist the technique was pretty lame. Any one with sharp eyes would be able to detect the edges of the cloth that served as shroud for the user, particularly if he was moving from place to place. So where did that leave him? Genjutsu? He knew of several jutsu similar to Kurenai's tree moving techniques, and with time he might be able to strip them down to their most basic consituents, and in so doing isolate the invisibility technique central to each. But he didn't have the luxury of time.

Sharingan. The guard seemed to be on a fairly strict schedule, and in just a few minutes Kakashi deduced when and where he was likely to see each of them. By keeping his foreign eye activated, he would be able to detect any peripheral movement that would signal the unexpected approach of the guards or of any one else for that matter, and thereby stay one step ahead of the watch. His plan to target the outer wall piecemeal went off without a hitch, but slowly, and the hour and a half spent using his best friend's eye, despite the mundane nature of this use, put a significant dent in Kakashi's chakra reserves.

It was close to sundown by the time he'd finished, and he'd had to hurry to catch up with the group of rowdy men eager to visit their new comfort woman. If the guards hadn't been escorting them, he would have taken the group out right then and there. The comments they were making had infuriated him to the point where he could barely contain himself from lashing out. Although they hadn't laid eyes on her yet, that was _his_ woman they were discussing in less than genteel terms. It was _his_ future wife (he was still sure she'd say yes, eventually) they were talking about fucking, _his_ lover they were referring to as a piece of meat, as an object to pork, then discard like a soiled condom. It was _his_ Sakura they were referring to as a cocksucker, as an available orifice, as a welcome change from their hands.

He'd realized then that he was looking forward to killing them.

But he couldn't do it just yet. True, they were sweaty and tired after a long day working under him (upon hearing some of their comments earlier that afternoon, Kakashi had assigned a few of them a bit of extra work along with an unreasonable deadline), and they were untrained in and unaware of anything remotely resembling shinobi tactics. He could eliminate them in a matter of minutes—perhaps 45 seconds per man. But Kakashi had the problem of the accompanying guards to consider. Although he'd carefully avoided these men as he'd sunk the explosive seals into the factory walls, he'd learned quite a bit through hearing the random snatches of their conversations as each group approached. To take the edge off the boredom inherent to a task like guarding an isolated building, the watchmen had buddied up, and seemed to have a lot to talk about. Several were quite excited about the new weapon they had at their disposal, and once Kakashi joined the procession heading up to the cottage, he'd surreptitiously taken a look at the object of their discussions.

He hadn't seen a weapon like this before, and the ingenuity of its technology astounded him. It seemed to be a hand-cranked tool with a revolving barrel capable of firing a battery of kunai in a steady stream. The guards, he noted, wore these weapons slung over their backs, as well as belts containing hundreds of small kunai crisscrossed over their chests. Even without the precise targeting ability of a shinobi, with the help of these weapons these men would be a force to be reckoned with. A spray of 100 kunai was likely to hit its target, even if the target was moving. Several sprays of kunai were likely to kill.

This put a wrinkle in his plans. He'd need to take out the guards before even considering action against the workmen or the Santaku woman. Which technique would work best against a rapid onslaught of hundreds of kunai? As they approached the wood-clad, straw-thatched cabin, Kakashi had racked his brain, considering each of the thousand plus jutsu he'd mastered. Genjutsu was the obvious answer this time. Trapping the guards in a distraction in which they couldn't see their weapons would allow him to disarm them quietly and efficiently. But the past hour and a half had drained him considerably—he wasn't sure how long he'd be able to maintain even a simple illusion. He would need Sakura's help, he'd quickly realized. As a genjutsu type she would have no trouble distracting the guards. But her chakra hadn't seemed right earlier. He hoped she was up for a battle.

Kakashi made his way up the cottage's small flight of stairs and into the already crowded room. His vantage point was horrible, but he didn't want to cause a commotion. One on one, he'd been able to fool his coworkers into believing he was their boss. But in a room surrounded by all of them, he was less certain his ruse would be successful. He needn't have worried, however. His subordinates parted before him as they noticed his presence, allowing him the best view possible of the room and its occupants.

She was scared, he quickly realized. Terribly scared-- as well she should be. Kakashi's eyes scanned the room as he did his best to put himself in her shoes. He saw a crowd of animals, a pack of dogs eager to rut with whatever flesh made itself available to them. Or rather, with whatever flesh was made available to them. The fact that these men would consider it acceptable to fuck a woman held hostage amazed him. This wasn't the typical kidnapping and rape scenario, after all. These men had played no part in her capture and therefore were not in the throes of the associated adrenaline rush that often caused captors to deny the humanity of their victims. These men didn't have such hot bloodedness as an excuse (not that it was an acceptable one). They were coming in cold, with forethought and deliberation. Each of them had decided that it was perfectly acceptable to gang bang a woman who, though described as a prostitute, had obviously been procured for them by force. She was shackled, after all! They'd have to be complete idiots not to notice that. Somehow, their cold-blooded complicity in this comfort-woman scheme seemed even worse to him than the alternatives he'd seen time and time again. But perhaps that wasn't it. Maybe it was simply the fact that it was his Sakura standing there, that made him want to draw and quarter any man who had the temerity to look at her as mere flesh. Or had the temerity to look at her at all.

Sakura was trying to buy time, he saw, a good move, though her slow disrobing was doing more to egg these men on than perhaps she'd anticipated. He felt the mood in the room change as her upper portion of breasts became visible, and he felt the almost palpable sensation of animal lust intensify to a feverish level as she allowed the thin robe to drop further, completely exposing the magnificent, alabaster half spheres.

He'd planned on acting with more subtlety, but this sight was just too much for him. There was absolutely no way he would allow anyone in this room to see an additional square centimeter of his lover's flesh.

"I'm first. I want her _now_," he said as he stood. It was clear to all that he wouldn't he'd take no for an answer, and the woman serving as pimp/madam quickly acceded to his request. He'd looked at Sakura then, quickly crossing the room to claim possession of her, while doing his best to help her see that the stranger she saw was actually he.

"I'll be gentle. Promise."

Sakura recoiled at the touch of the oversized man next to her. He looked at her with what could only be described as a leer before steering her out of the small living room and towards her makeshift 'boudoir.' Rumiko had actually referred to it as that, as though Sakura were a woman of means and leisure. Or just leisure. Not that such distinctions mattered at the moment. She was about to be raped, after all, by the largest, ugliest man she'd ever seen. He was Neanderthal in appearance, from his sloping brow to his near absence of neck, from his enormous shoulders and ribcage to the size of his arms. His biceps were substantially larger than her thighs, she realized, and quite possibly the same circumference as her waist, and the hand on her arm nearly spanned the distance from her shoulder to elbow. Massive was the only word that could describe this man. Just the weight of his body against her would be enough to crush her, should he move against her with any momentum. Sakura wouldn't allow herself to consider any other aspects of his anatomy and she also stifled any thoughts of their incipient interaction. She had to make sure it didn't happen.

With a small movement she forced her hands apart while directing chakra to each wrist. She felt the slightest surge of power, but nowhere near enough to even bend the metal bindings, let alone shatter them. Use of her "insane" strength was therefore still not an option. She felt herself begin to perspire, felt her pulse quicken and eyes widen in a primal, limbic fear. She jerked away from the hulking creature next to her as his hand left her arm to shut and secure the door. She didn't hear the catcalls that followed the sharp click of the lock, or the shouts of sexual obscenities as the living room's occupants eagerly waited to hear her first sexual assault begin. She was completely focused on the man next to her, a man who was at least four times her weight.

He quickly turned to face her again, surprisingly graceful considering his size, and then he had the audacity to utter her name.

"Sakura." He said it calmly, as though he'd said it a thousand times before. "Don't be afraid. It's—"

She rushed him then, lifting her knee as high and as forcefully as she was able, and felt some relief as he buckled and fell to the floor.

Despite the intense pain that roiled through him like a small tsunami, Kakashi did his best to stay alert. This was difficult, as a blow to the genitals tended to short circuit any cognitive processes. For several long seconds Kakashi rode out the waves of pain that spread outward in ripples. Next came nausea, as the blood left his stomach, then came a darkening around the periphery of his vision as the pain fully registered in his brain. Finally, the sensation began to ebb slightly, enough for Kakashi to get the upper hand. As Kakashi locked away his body's response, and willed his mind to focus on other things, he recognized a new source of danger. Sakura was choking him. She'd apparently climbed behind him as he'd hunched forward on the floor, and had encircled him with her still-shackled wrists. The metal bands that clasped her wrists together were pressed tightly against his windpipe.

"Sa—" He swallowed his words as he struggled for air. "Choke—" He pulled his hands together and with a gurgling sound spat out the word, "Kai." In an instant he regained his true form, causing Sakura to collapse against him.

"Kakashi!" Though she was draped over the back of him, she recognized him instantly. She looked at him in disbelief, then began to cry. "You came."

He turned, then pulled her to him tightly and allowed her the luxury of a small meltdown, rubbing her back as he comforted her with quiet words.

"Good work, Sakura." Somehow, this made her crying more intense. "It's okay. We're going to be okay." He pulled them both to their feet, after unlocking her shackles, and walked her to the bed. What did this sound like to the living room audience, he wondered.

"Sakura. I hate to have to do this, but we need them to think that we're—that I'm—"

"Nani? Oh. Right."

Kakashi rose from the bed, and quickly walked across the room to the broken down dresser. He knocked against it violently, swearing as he did so. "Cry out, Sakura," he whispered as he returned to her side.

She did her best to comply, quickly realizing his reasons for this command. It wasn't difficult, she realized, to act the part, considering how close she'd just come to living it. She half-screamed, half-cried, then muffled her moans against a pillow, purging the myriad of emotions she'd felt in the past few hours.

Kakashi held her as she did so, occasionally shaking the steel-framed bed to add to the effect.

Kage bunshins, he thought, were what they needed. He and Sakura needed to quickly go over a plan of attack, and he needed her to brief him on anything she knew. That couldn't happen while they were play acting her rape. More importantly, he wanted her away from this place, as quickly as possible. While immediately necessary, it couldn't be good for Sakura to be pretending to be assaulted.

He'd learned a lot, he realized, in the past few minutes. First of all, it was clear that Sakura's chakra control had not returned. If it had (he almost shuddered at the thought), he'd have been castrated or suffocated. Or both. The pain he'd just endured, while intense, was of the normal variety, and quite preferable to either of these alternatives.

But if Sakura's chakra was not available, his plans for both their defense and offense would need to be revised. He gathered his lover into his arms again, moving them both from the bed, then focused his own chakra and made two shadow clones. He quickly transformed them—one into a copy of Sakura, and the other into the Neanderthal foreman. This was going to uncomfortable, but it was their best bet. It was good, he realized, that Sakura didn't have her chakra, as she would have insisted upon making her own shadow clone if she were able to do so. But, as shadow clones transferred the memory of their actions and experiences to their user, this would not have been helpful. The last thing Kakashi wanted was for Sakura to have any idea of what it felt like to be raped.

"Look away, Sakura," he'd said gently as his clones made their way to the bed. He tossed the key to his Neanderthal self, who quickly bound the smaller clone to the bed. "Do you know where your clothing is?"

"My underwear is over there…" She had no idea where her dress or sandals were. She shrugged off the kimono, eyeing it with distaste. At least she would have a couple of pieces of clothing, however small, to put a thin layer of insulation between her flesh and the garment symbolizing her debasement.

"We'll have to make do, then." He leaned over and tore a wide strip of cloth from the bottom of the yukata, then helped Sakura back into the garment, folding the torn strip into a makeshift obi, and hiking the garment slightly to make it easier to move in. Her legs were almost fully exposed, he noted with the briefest lecherous smile, then snapped back to the task at hand. He quickly removed his kunai pouch and bandages, and secured them to her upper leg, attempting to redirect her attention as he did so. She seemed fascinated, in a horrified way, by the scene taking place on the bed.

In any other circumstances, he would have laughed. The thought of Sakura as a voyeur was something he hadn't considered, and if he'd seen her gaping at a couple as she was gaping now, he would have wanted to explore her reactions further. But there was absolutely nothing sexually arousing in the sight currently before them. Despite the fact that Kakashi was doing his best to keep the interaction of his clones clean (but noisy), the sight before him disturbed him. The idea of Sakura with another man was abhorrent, and the thought of watching her rape repulsed him.

But Sakura could not look away. The bound-up Sakura was not in any way enjoying the attentions of her oversized partner, but the sight of her alternate self with such a man was something that the real Sakura couldn't ignore. She would have been raped if Kakashi hadn't arrived. There was no doubt in her mind. Even if she'd been successful in suffocating the first, how would she have escaped? There were over twenty others in proximity—she would have had no chance. She would have died if he hadn't--

She was crying again. She was probably in shock, Kakashi realized. The quicker they got out of here, the better.

"Sakura? Do you have any control over your chakra?"

She nodded as she took a deep breath to settle herself. "Just a bit, but it's coming back quickly."

"Do you think you can teleport?" She shook her head. "Then come close, and I'll take care of it." He pulled her possessively to himself and formed the seals needed to put some distance between themselves and the cottage. They found themselves high in the tree he'd visited after falling off the roof hours earlier, and after situating himself against the rough and somewhat sticky bark of the bole, Kakashi pulled Sakura into his lap and encircled her with his arms.

"I didn't think… I didn't deserve for you…"

"Hush." He kissed her forehead.

"I'm so sorry, Kakashi. I shouldn't have left you." She was crying again, but her body was no longer wracking with sobs.

"I'd have to agree with that, Sakura, but now isn't the time to discuss such things. Pull yourself together. We don't have much time." He wasn't sure how much longer he'd be able to maintain the two shadow clones, and there was the matter of the highly armed guards to consider as well. Not to mention the long distance jutsu he'd planned to set off the explosion at the factory.

She responded to his gruffness, the way he knew she would, quickly shutting down her emotions and bringing her critical thinking skills to the fore.

"You took down the building I saw earlier."

He nodded.

"It was some type of factory— a lab?" She remembered the containers labeled with the names of rather unusual chemicals.

He nodded again.

"Who are these people? They're related to that hotel owner, aren't they? And they followed you back to Konoha, right?"

Kakashi spoke quickly as he briefed her, giving her the essential facts of the top-secret mission to which he'd been assigned, as well as his hastily revised plan of attack. It would be best to delay the detonation of the factory building as long as possible, as the sound of multiple explosions would carry the 2 kilometer distance between the factory and cottage. Instead, their first move would be to take down the guards. Unfortunately (though he did not share this with Sakura) that would necessitate leaving the kage bunshins in place a while longer. The drain to his chakra would be substantial, but apart from this, he doubted the group of horny bastards waiting in the living room would allow even their supervisor more than a half hour with their shared comfort woman. His Sakura clone would no longer be play acting when the first real "client" came in.

He'd never been raped before. He really hoped it wouldn't come down to that.

They would take down the guards as quietly as possible. If they could trap them all within a single genjutsu, they'd be able to pick them off one by one with the men in the house none the wiser. This didn't seem a likely possibility, however. From their vantage point, the pair could see that the guards were scattered around the perimeter of the small house. What's more, Kakashi was beginning to doubt he'd have the energy to sustain such a jutsu.

He jumped down to a lower branch of the tree and retrieved his pack, rummaging through it until he found a bag of chips and a canteen of water. He offered both to the kunoichi, who gladly accepted. She hadn't eaten or drunk for hours and had not realized just how famished she'd become.

"How's your chakra?" he asked Sakura again, once she'd slowed down in her eating and drinking.

She smiled a real smile for the first time that evening. "Not enough to crush boulders, but I think I could pull off a simple genjutsu. Which one were you thinking of?"

"Magen: Kokoni Arazu no Jutsu to make their weapons disappear, overlaid with Mousetsu Oboe to make them forget they had any."

"Weapons? Are we talking katana or crossbows?"

"Neither. They have some kind of automatically loading weapon that fires kunai. I'd guess about 100 at a time. If we can't disarm them, we won't be able to eliminate the target."

Kakashi looked more concerned than Sakura had ever seen him. Snow's technology, she realized, could be the undoing of the shinobi nations. An influx of drugs could completely destabilize the structure of society, and their advanced weaponry could make the hidden villages redundant. Technological might would easily outweigh technical expertise. A shinobi's skills would be literally outgunned.

Sakura slowed her breathing and attempted once more to focus her chakra. More of it was now available to her, and again she focused it to the tissues in her liver that were actively detoxifying her blood. Her body responded immediately. She surveyed her available chakra and recognized that she had enough for at least a 30 minute genjutsu. That should be enough time for Kakashi to take out the guards. She nodded to the copy ninja as he looked at her quizzically.

"Ready whenever you are." The two jumped lightly to the ground and began their preparations.

…o…o…o…o…

The first four guards went down without a struggle. It was clear to Kakashi that they'd never been caught in a genjutsu before, and it was also clear that Sakura had outdone herself in creating this one. Each of the three men had seemed entranced, and each had wandered off, seemingly in search of something rare and elusive. From the looks on their faces, it was clearly something sexual that they sought. He'd need to ask Sakura exactly what it was that she'd had them envision.

He smiled as he considered her resiliency. Only minutes before she'd been a sobbing mess, but she'd gathered her wits and had put her considerable kunoichi skills to good use. She'd accurately inferred that these men, like those within the house, were likely a bit preoccupied with thoughts of their comfort woman, and she'd taken advantage of that preoccupation. Horny bastards—they'd deserved their ignoble deaths.

It wasn't so easy with the fifth guard. He was drawn into the genjutsu, but it wasn't having the intended effect on him. He didn't go off in search of his lorelei, but rather, stood stock still with a befuddled look upon his face. He'd then started to run, as if in recognition of the fact that he was trapped in a waking nightmare, and had tripped over a gnarled root. The sudden blow snapped him out of the jutsu, and he'd looked up to see Kakashi running towards him, raikiri blazing.

The copy ninja wasn't about to take any chances. His original technique was probably overkill for this particular situation, but it was imperative that the man be taken out immediately. The guard surprised him, however, reaching for the large gun slung across his back and firing off a strafe of kunai before Kakashi reached him. He died as soon as the raikiri seared his flesh, however, and Kakashi collapsed against him, scores of small kunai embedded to their hilts in his chest and abdomen.

Sakura witnessed Kakashi's strike and the guard's response, and ran to her lover immediately. She forced her chakra into him as she removed each small blade and quickly sealed each wound. It was a patchwork job, certainly not her best work, but it would suffice until their mission ended.

"One left," Kakashi had muttered as he rose to his feet.

"Let me take him."

"No. I can see you're fatigued." He'd noticed her look of total concentration, mixed with pain, as she'd closed his last few wounds. It was easy to overlook how much work was involved in mending a wound, particularly as she made the process seem so simple. How many times had she exhausted herself while healing others?

"So are you." He looked dead on his feet.

"I'll make you a deal. You can take the men inside. Use the fireball jutsu to hit them all at once. The detonation of the factory will be your signal that my man is down. Wait until then." He had been looking forward to taking on her would be rapists himself, but it was clear to him that he was at his limit. Besides, doing so herself would bring Sakura some closure. He had no doubt that she'd berate herself for needing to be rescued, otherwise.

"Hai!" Sakura ran toward the house, using the many surrounding trees as cover. She climbed into one, planning to target first the roof, then the east-facing side of the tinder-dry structure. Kakashi's suggestion was a reasonable one. She'd be able to take all of them out with minimal work. What's more, the occupants of the cabin wouldn't know what had hit them, as they'd be incinerated within seconds of her attack. The medic within her, dedicated to the relief of suffering approved of this. The kunoichi who'd narrowly avoided being raped disagreed. But there was no time for bickering among her alternate persona. She heard a deafening roll of thunder as the factory exploded. Kakashi had gotten his man.

She had mere seconds to perform the jutsu before Rumiko, Dai and the others were likely to leave the building to ascertain the cause of the explosion they'd heard. Sakura quickly moved her hands together to perform the necessary seals: Snake, Tiger, Monkey, Boar, Horse, Tiger. She breathed in deeply and with a huge exhalation sent a spherical blast of fire directly towards the roof below her. She then jumped down and breathed in and out again, opening her eyes wide as they locked upon those of her former captor. The woman was gone in a flash of smoke and ash, as were the rest of the cottage's occupants. The sweet smell of burning flesh turned Sakura's stomach, and she leaned over to retch, emptying her stomach of its recent meal of junk food. She then stood and surveyed the scene around her.

The surrounding trees were ablaze, their sticky, resinous pitch adding to their flammability.

"Kakashi?" she yelled above the roar of crackling pine. "Where are you?"

He was back at the tree they'd staged from, no doubt. But why hadn't he responded to her?

The fire was spreading at an alarming rate. It obviously hadn't rained here in months and the trees themselves, as well as the thick padding of needles at her feet were excellent fuel, dry and calorie rich. Their staging location had been slightly uphill of the cottage, and Sakura knew that fires climbed quite easily. She raced toward Kakashi's likely position with the flames as her competitor.

He wasn't there. She scanned the area for signs of a struggle and saw none. Perhaps he'd attacked the guard closer to the cabin. If so—she didn't want to think about it.

She raced back down the gentle slope toward the cabin, now screaming her lover's name.

This was her fault—it would be her fault if he died. If she hadn't left him none of this would have happened. They could be safe and secure back at the inn, making love or laughing over his novels. Hot tears ran down her face as she continued to cry out his name.

_Stupid, stupid girl._

Finally, she found him. A flaming, broken tree trunk had fallen across his back, and the ground around him was darkened with his blood. Sakura wrestled the log off the ninja, then dropped to his side.

He was alive, though barely so. The guard's infernal weapon had covered him, like a porcupine, in quill-like kunai. How was it that this one had escaped the genjutsu as well? It was obvious that several of Kakashi's vital organs had been pierced, judging from the depth of the kunai in his flesh and by the quantity of blood that had escaped him. The tree had likely crushed his ribs, as well. He was a total mess, and she was in no state to heal him fully.

She tried anyway, pushing every bit of chakra into him that she could spare. She had better control of her energy now, but it was clear that every last vestige of her remaining chakra would not be enough. Her tears flowed again. She couldn't lose him, not now.

_Calm down. Think triage._

What was the most life threatening of his injuries? He could survive for a while without a kidney or fully functioning liver, but the many severed arteries spurting out his life's essence were another matter. She moved her hands against him, uncaring that they were now covered in warm, glistening red, and sought out each severed end within him.

She worked quickly, mindful of the quantity of blood he had already lost, and sighed as the last major blood vessel was mended. With an effort, she stopped herself from continuing. They couldn't stay here in the woods. The fire was raging around them and even if she were to rest for a while she wouldn't have enough chakra to mend his vital organs. She needed to get to civilization, and fast. She lifted the fallen ninja into her arms, mindful of his many injuries and began to run. Her feet tread upon smoking embers, but she didn't feel them, or the blisters on her soles that soon opened up and began to bleed freely.

She ran until she was well away from the fire, only stopping once she came upon a small stream. She washed the dried blood from her hands, then tore off another strip from her kimono and wrung it out in the cold, running water, using it to mop away much of the blood that had caked upon Kakashi's torso. The lack of fresh blood told her that no wounds had reopened. She sighed in relief again, then collapsed at his side. She wondered idly how far they were from the coast, and from any town or village that might have someone skilled enough to treat her lover. She thought she smelled salt air. Before she passed out, she wondered also at the figures she saw approaching. The two men were clad in long black robes and wore a style of hat she remembered from years earlier. Its low, conical shape was distinctive.

"Akatsuki?"

The men wondered at the half-dressed woman's cryptic reference to the dawn, but did not discuss it. Instead, each picked up a fallen shinobi, and headed back along the stream, and out of sight.


	42. Confessions 12th Date Part 1

_Disclaimer: Naruto and associated characters are property of Masashi Kishimoto. They are not my property!_

**Fourteen Dates **

_Author's note: Some of you were worried that poor Sakura and Kakashi had been abducted by Akatsuki, or some other potential abusers. Not to worry—they are in good hands, and certainly they deserve a rest. Therefore, there is not too much action in this chapter. There is, however, some vocabulary. I have done my best to make the meaning of new Japanese words clear by context. However, you may want to scroll down to the glossary at the bottom of the page if inclusion of such words tends to bother you._

_Although I am studying Zen Buddhism, I am studying an American bastardization of the Japanese form. Therefore, I did quite a bit of research in an attempt to make this chapter accurate. However, without visiting a real, Japanese monastery (in Kyoto, preferably, which won't be happening for another three years), it's likely that I've made some mistakes. So, if you notice any, I'd be glad of any corrections._

_Thanks again to everyone who has taken the time to review this story. I truly appreciate it._

_And one more thing. For those of you who have been waiting, there will be a lemon in the next chapter._

**Chapter 42: Confessions—Twelfth date, part one**

She could make out his features under the shadow of his wide-brimmed hat—the bright moon shining down upon the four of them provided for that. He was clean-shaven, but his face was unfamiliar. Sakura's first thought upon regaining consciousness had been related to the hard object she felt against her cheek. She'd turned slightly to determine the nature of the unknown item and had recognized it as a hand-carved wooden ring that served as a sort of closure for the rough-woven, dark overgarment the man wore. The texture of his clothes quickly told her that he was definitely not Akatsuki. Their kimono had been made of finest chirimen silk. This garment was of homespun linen, if she was not mistaken. It was patched as well—she could feel the edges of a roughly sewn square rubbing against her cheek as the man breathed. Sakura closed her eyes again as she tried to figure out just who was carrying Kakashi and herself. She felt a bit dizzy and completely exhausted, but that was probably to be expected after being drugged early on in the day, then nearly expending all of her available chakra in patching up Kakashi and carrying him to relative safety.

She'd been wrong before about whether or not to trust someone who extended a helping hand, but Sakura did feel as though those helping them now deserved her confidence. It didn't matter, anyway. At the moment, there was nothing she and Kakashi could do to free themselves, assuming they were captives. They would need to bide their time, and if escape was necessary, do it when their bodies recovered. But something told Sakura, quite clearly, that they wouldn't need to escape. It wasn't her stomach, this time, overriding her instinct and intelligence. These men radiated calmness and tranquility.

The man holding her smelled of sweat, which was unremarkable, but also of incense, quite strongly. In addition, there was another fragrance that took her a bit longer to place. Somehow, the scent reminded her of her grandmother's house—of her kitchen, to be precise. Her family hadn't visited her mother's mom many times, but each time they had, the woman had pressed upon them samples of her home cooking. That was it—tsukemono. The man smelled strongly of the rice bran used to ferment the home-made pickles. It was a strong smell, that caused most housewives, including Sakura's grandmother, to apologize profusely should a guest enter a kitchen when it was temporarily devoted to the production of fermented vegetables. So the men—or at least her rescuer, anyway—were pickle makers. Sakura nearly laughed aloud. She doubted a drug trader, bandit or any other type of thug would use such a lowly, smelly profession as his cover.

"The gate will be locked, you know." Sakura's rescuer spoke for the first time, although not to her.

"Of course. We'll have to ring. Shika won't be pleased." The man's partner snickered.

"A shika is never pleased. That's the nature of the job, isn't it?"

The two men laughed softly at a joke Sakura didn't understand.

"I wonder what our punishment will be." The kunoichi felt the slightest hint of trepidation in the pickle maker's voice.

"Last time he caught me, I was switched off my rotation onto janitorial duties."

"Great. I wish you had told me that before we snuck out. As if kitchen duty isn't bad enough." Sakura felt a long expulsion of air as the man carrying her sighed.

There was a definite smile in his partner's voice. "But you wouldn't have come with me, Takuan-kun, if I'd told you. And it's not like we made it to town, anyway." Kakashi's rescuer shifted the still-unconscious ninja slightly against him.

"Maybe they'll see this as extenuating circumstances." The pickle maker pointed to Sakura and Kakashi.

Sakura opened her eyes to see that the group was approaching a walled compound that was in need, it seemed, of a fresh coat of whitewash and a bit of patching to its plastered, shikkui surface. The disrepair of the wall was evident, even under the dim, silver-blue illumination of moonlight. Their rescuers, whoever they were, seemed to be a bit impoverished.

Her rescuer shifted her across his shoulder as he freed one hand to pull on a cord. Slung over his shoulder, Sakura was able to make out the writing on a rough hewn slab of wood attached to the gate post. Hung from a hook at what would normally be eye level, it read, "Let him come from every possible direction, and I will dispose of him like a whirlwind." As the pickle maker, Takuan, turned, Sakura was able to make out the inscription on the slab's twin. This one read, "Zoun-in. Gateless gate."

Sakura heard the shuffling of sandals on gravel, as well as the sound of a cane or a staff keeping time with these footsteps. The gate opened silently, and Sakura felt the tension in her rescuer's body release. She closed her eyes again, but not completely. Better for her to appear to be unconscious, she thought, as she looked through feathered lashes at the man who opened the gate.

"Harada-roshi! We didn't expect you'd answer this late at night!" The two rescuers bowed as deeply as they were able, considering the load each carried.

A stooped, wizened man looked at the group with a smile of benevolence mixed with curiosity. "Takuan-san, Daigu-san, I saw you climb over the wall tonight, and figured you might need help getting back inside. Daigu-san, Katsuo-shika told me tonight that he was planning to speak with the abbot about sending you back to your home temple, assuming you crossed the line again. I didn't think you'd want that, ne? But whom have you brought with you?"

"Travelers. Ninja, by the looks of them." Kakashi's rescuer cast a glance at the lack of clothing worn by Sakura. "Well, at least one of them."

"Looks can be deceiving, as you should know by now, Daigu-san. Her feet are burned and bleeding, and his are not. What does this tell you?"

Daigu looked at the older man blankly. "That she's a fire-walker?" he offered finally.

"I wonder if there is hope for you. Come along. Take the man to the sick room and the young woman to the guest room. I'll wake Shusai to tend to them."

He moved closer to Sakura and Kakashi as the quartet passed, stiffening as he saw the copy ninja's partially-clad face and shock of silver hair.

"Sakumo-kun? Is it you? No, it couldn't be," the elderly man muttered to himself. "I think my age is catching up with me."

Sakura lifted her head to look around her. It was clear that they were in a monastery, and a Zen one, at that, judging by its austerity. It was nothing like the Buddhist temple back in Konoha, not that she'd visited there much. That one had been of a more user-friendly sect, and was decorated brightly. This monastery was simple and worn, and very plain. Now that they had removed their hats, she could see the shaved heads of her traveling companions, and as they set Sakura and her partner on a bench she noticed the traditional kesa and rakusu they wore atop their coarse black garments. After removing their own roughly-made sandals as well as those of Kakashi, the two monks again picked up their loads, but not before Sakura noticed the small sign placed next to the neat arrangement of sandals along the wall. "Look beneath your feet," it read.

_Look underneath the underneath._ Had Kakashi studied Zen at some time in his past, she wondered idly. And who was Sakumo?

The quartet traveled down a narrow hallway and into a small room that was completely empty apart from a lamp stand. Daigu gently set Kakashi upon the tatami-clad floor and slid aside a fusuma to reveal a stack of bedding. He pulled out a futon and spread it on the floor, quickly making up the bed.

"What are you waiting for, Takuan? Harada-sama said to take her to the tanga-ryo."

"Hai." The pickle-scented monk turned and began to leave the room.

"Wait! Please, I'm his medic… and his wife. Let me stay with him."

Daigu snickered at Sakura's words. "No wife dresses like that," she heard him say under his breath.

"If she's his wife, she belongs with him. And if she's a medic, she'll do a much better job taking care of him than Shusai can." Takuan gently deposited the scantily clad kunoichi on the floor, then turned to the closet to remove the remaining futon and bed clothes.

"I'll bring you each a sleeping robe, so you'll be a bit more comfortable. Shusai is the one among us who knows the most first aid. He'll be down soon to wrap your feet, and check on your husband." Takuan moved Sakura to the neatly made-up bed and smiled at her as she immediately reached out to grasp Kakashi's hand.

"You won't be able to help him until you're rested, yourself. You're obviously exhausted. Sleep, now."

The pair of monks silently left the room, and Sakura turned to Kakashi, quickly assessing his condition in the brightness of the moonlit room. She had almost no chakra left, certainly not enough to survey his internal organs. She sighed. He didn't look good in terms of color, but from all other external signs he seemed to be stable. There was nothing she could do to help him, not yet. The monk Takuan was right. She needed to sleep before she would be able to heal her lover. She kissed, then nestled against the unconscious Kakashi and quickly fell asleep.

Sakura was awakened by a bell ringing, followed by the shuffling of many pairs of feet along the planked wooden floor of the hallway outside her room. Although they were extremely quiet, the rice paper walls of the sickroom did little to muffle the sound the monks made. The room she shared with Kakashi was bright, still lit by moonlight, but it was clearly still very late night. The birds hadn't even begun to sing. She looked at Kakashi. His color had improved a bit, she noted with relief. He no longer looked completely drained of blood, as he had earlier that evening. But his clothes were caked with the iron-rich substance, and reeked of wood smoke. Sakura noticed that the two sleeping kimono Takuan promised had been set at the head of the beds. She carefully undressed Kakashi, taking the opportunity to look for wounds she might have missed earlier. She then wrapped him in the soft, gauze-lined nemaki and adjusted his pillow in the way she remembered that he liked.

After quickly stripping to remove her own soiled clothes, Sakura dressed in the remaining nemaki, then picked up the ninja's soiled garments, separating his vest, and kunai and shuriken pouches from the other, more expendable items. The vest, like her medic's kit, contained a number of precious objects. Her kit was burned, she assumed, as surely the flames had consumed most, if not all of the trees in the vicinity of the Santaku cabin. Her herbs, tinctures and unguents, though precious, were replaceable, however, and the medical scrolls she carried could be recopied. Kakashi's summoning scroll could not, she guessed. She reached for the vest, feeling along its narrow breast pockets to make sure that the invaluable items were still there. They were, she realized. She wondered how he was able to sleep in such a garment, as he did regularly on missions. It was lumpy from the many hard items stuffed inside. Even the back of the garment contained an angular object that would make resting impossible for most. She reached into the roomy, back pocket, interested in finding out just what was so useful to the copy ninja that he'd give up comfort to carry it instead. She smiled as she pulled out the small, inlaid box he had given her two days before. She removed the wooden keepsake, pressed her lips to it, and set it next to her futon.

_I love this man._

It seemed like an eternity ago that they had dined together under the dogwoods. And like a horrible person, she had left this sign of his affection behind. What must he think of her? She'd find out soon enough, she realized as she turned back to her patient. Now was not the time to think of such things. Not when her patient was still not fully healed.

Sakura reached experimentally for her chakra and was relieved to feel it present and circulating normally within her system. It wasn't at its usual level, or course, but she had only slept for a few hours. She leaned over and pressed her hands against Kakashi's torso, closing her eyes to better concentrate on his body's internal workings. He needed blood, she knew, so she directed her chakra to the marrow of his long bones, urging the cells there to work overtime. She felt them kick into overdrive and smiled in relief. She couldn't do much for him with her chakra at its current level, but this was an important start. She continued to pour her remaining chakra into him, healing a portion of the internal organs he'd damaged that night, until her energy was nearly drained, then collapsed again at his side.

After a while, her mind was rested enough to dream. A soothing chanting underlay the visual images her mind called forth, its pace kept steady by hollow sound of wood striking against wood. Kakashi held her in the dream, his arms wrapped tightly around her petite frame, his lips brushing against her hair. It felt so right to be with him, enfolded by his warmth, by his love. She pulled away from him slightly, to tell him this, and was surprised to see the look of sadness in his eyes.

"_Why did you leave me, Sakura?"_

"_I'm sorry, Kakashi. I won't ever again." _

"_If you can't accept me the way that I am, then there's no hope for us." He turned away from her, shrugging his shoulders in the lackadaisical way she knew so well._

"_The way that you are…" She moved in front of him, noticing that he was once again reading his beloved orange book. He held it out for her to take, and she did so, her eyes scanning the page he'd marked with his finger. There was an illustration, she saw, of Kakashi and her, embracing passionately. In it, she was clinging to him, her thin legs wrapped around his waist, her hair long, her body immature, and so much smaller than his._

"_We all have our quirks, Sakura. Is this one really so bad?"_

Sakura bolted upright in bed, throwing off her covers as she did so. _Was_ it really so bad?

"Sakura?" She turned to see Kakashi regarding her. "What's wrong? Was it a nightmare? You looked so sad, just now."

"You're awake!" She collapsed against him, eliciting a small moan of pain from the Sharingan user. "Oh! Gomen. I'm not finished healing you yet. I ran out of chakra last night…" He interrupted her ramblings with a long, yet gentle kiss. She melted against him, glad he was alive and unharmed, and relieved to be reunited with him.

"What happened to your feet?"

Sakura looked down at her feet, which were covered by layer upon layer of white gauze. The monk, Shusai, must have attended to her as she slept.

"I burned them, I guess."

"Well…" Kakashi looked at her expectantly.

"Well, what?"

"Fix them." He leaned back against his pillow and closed his eyes.

"No. Not until I fix you." Her chakra felt renewed. Kakashi sighed with relief as he felt her healing energy surge into him.

She laughed softly. "You always play the stoic, don't you?'

"You saved my life, I take it."

"You saved mine first. And you shouldn't have had to do so. I'm so sorry, Kakashi."

"For what? Helping me to complete my previous mission? Tsunade would have sent me back there to finish the job, you know. You just sped things up a bit."

"I'm sorry for leaving you, Kakashi."

He grunted in response. Sometimes the man was so taciturn it was infuriating. What was a grunt supposed to mean?

"Am I right in thinking that the more focused you are on your task, the more efficiently you use your chakra?"

"Yes, but—"

"Of course I'm right. Focus. I want you to be able to heal yourself when you're done with me."

"I need to explain things to you."

"I know. You do. And you will. Later."

Sakura hung her head as she continued his treatment. She had heard more than a note of anger in his curt response. At least, that was what she thought she'd heard. It was something unusual for the man, anyway.

A knock sounded at the door just as Sakura was finishing her treatment. She lay down again as the elderly monk from the night before entered.

"Konnichi-wa, travelers, and welcome to our sanctuary." The man's face crinkled into what seemed like a thousand wrinkles as he smiled. "You look much better, but I am not surprised. Takuan told me that you, young lady, are a healer." Sakura nodded, a slight blush on her cheeks. "And you, dear man, remind me of someone from my past."

Kakashi looked at the monk for a moment, then spoke. "This place is Zoun-in, isn't it?"

"How did you know that?" Sakura asked. Had he really trained in Zen, she wondered. She knew so little about him, despite their long history and recent intimacy.

"Because my father spent several years of his childhood here." Sakura's eyes widened. Apparently, she was about to be edified.

"Ah. Then I was right. Well, almost. You're not Sakumo, but you are his son." The elderly man's face was illuminated with a smile.

"And you are Harada-roshi, his master from so long ago."

The man nodded, his smile widening. "I was the one who realized he would be better suited as shinobi than as a monk, though indeed, he would have made a fine monk. In those times, Konoha had opened its gates to new families, and his parents supported my recommendation that they move there to begin his training. I saw him from time to time, after that—the family kept their farm by the water, and they visited it fairly often. It was during one of those trips that he met your mother. They even married here. That was the last time I saw him, although I hoped he would return again. He and his family deserved the blessings of all of us. But he never came back."

"But he did speak of you. You were like a second father to him, his shishou."

Sakura looked from lover to monk, her eyes still wide. Kakashi had never spoken of his father before. The image that of the blood soaked, self-wounded ninja she had seen in Kakashi's mind didn't mesh with the story she was hearing. Still, it explained some things about the copy ninja. She realized that the reason for her comfort the night before, as the monks carried her, was because their quietude was very familiar. Kakashi was that placid on a daily basis.

"And you, like my deshi, Sakumo, are a shinobi of the leaf?"

Kakashi hesitated before answering, although the answer to that question was clearly emblazoned upon the hitae-ate that lay atop the pile of clothing next to him. "Yes."

"As is your wife?"

"My wife?" Kakashi rolled onto his side and smiled at Sakura, a glint in his eyes. "Yes. She trained as a medic ninja under the hokage herself. She's the best our village has ever produced."

"Then it's fitting that she's with the son of the White Fang, is it not? Even here in this isolated place we heard stories of his courage."

"Apparently, you did not hear all of them." Sakura saw the sadness in his eyes and was surprised when he continued. "He committed seppuku to mitigate the disgrace he brought to the village."

"It seems to me more reasonable to think that his death was the village's disgrace." The old monk looked at Kakashi with compassion in his eyes. "It is people who make a village. The companions he protected were therefore the village. There was no wrong in putting their lives first."

Kakashi sighed. "It took a friend's death for me to realize that, but yes, I agree with you."

"You honor your father's memory, in both your words and your actions. He would have been quite proud of you, I think."

Kakashi smiled behind his mask, a real smile, Sakura thought.

"An assistant will you bring you lunch in a short while, and show you to the restrooms. You will need garments—those nemaki will not do outside of this room. I'll have some robes brought to you." The old monk bowed and silently left the room.

Sakura rolled onto her side to face Kakashi. His eyes were closed again, the visible part of his face marked by weariness. "I only said that because they were going to separate us."

"That we were married? No worries—I did the same at the inn. Well, almost. I said you were my fiancée." He opened his eyes and smiled at her. "Didn't you wonder why the woman at the front desk left me alone when we returned?"

"I hadn't thought about it. Kakashi—"

She was interrupted by another knock at the door. The second monk from the night before, Daigu, stepped in, another monk behind him. Each carried a small tray table holding several covered lacquer bowls.

"They say monastery food is worse than prison food," Daigu said cheerfully. "Takuan did his best for you, however. Hopefully it will be palatable." He set the trays next to their beds, and returned to the doorway. "The restrooms are right down the hallway—you may use the private one set aside for guests, of course. Third door on the right. I apologize for not showing it you earlier, but we didn't realize you had awakened." He bowed deeply. "I'll return in a little while with some clothing. If you are up to it, you might like to visit our garden."

Sakura rose from her bed, then knelt, bowing deeply to the monk. "Thank you to you and Takuan for rescuing us. We owe you our lives. Kakashi, this man is the one who carried you here."

"Domo arigatou." Kakashi joined her in prostration.

"We wouldn't have found you if I didn't have a habit of sneaking off to a bar most nights." The monk smiled as he scratched the stubble on his scalp, then turned and left the room.

Sakura made a mental note to purchase their savior a large bottle of sake. She had no idea whether or not monks were allowed to receive such gifts, but she felt certain that if such a rule did exist, this monk would be more than willing to break it.

Kakashi removed the lid from a bowl on his table and laughed. "Your favorite, Sakura. Okayu."

"Yuck." Sakura wrinkled her nose in disgust as she eyed the wallpaper-paste-like gruel. "Think I'll take the first crack at the restroom, if you don't mind. It doesn't look like I'll be missing much." She hastily exited, suddenly aware of a most urgent need to relieve herself. She was still only wearing the nemaki, as more suitable clothing had not yet been delivered, but she didn't care. She really had to go.

Kakashi poured himself a cup of green tea, and sipped it slowly as he uncovered and inspected the remaining bowls of food. Miso soup—his favorite. He grinned as he quickly traded the okayu on his tray with the soup on Sakura's, then tucked in to his lunch. With any luck, he'd be done before she returned.

…o...o...o...o…

"Let's talk." They were seated outside on a stone bench at the very edge of the garden Daigu had mentioned, a formal rectangle of raked gravel, large stones and contorted, disciplined trees.

"Okay." Sakura smiled, despite Kakashi's serious tone. "Those robes suit you—I'd almost mistake you for a man of the cloth. Although the hitae-ate ruins the effect."

"You should talk. Who ever heard of a nun with pink hair?"

"Maybe I should shave it off."

"Don't do that." He took her hand in his own and looked into her eyes. "We need to discuss—"

"Why I ran away." She sighed. "Do we?" She'd changed her mind about the need to explain her actions. It would be too humiliating, both to describe her thoughts and to have him acknowledge them as an accurate perception of the truth.

He nodded. "It's private here. The monks are meditating now, I think." The sound of wood striking wood issued faintly from the main building, in support of this assertion.

"I made a mistake, Kakashi, as simple as that. I realize now that things aren't as simple as black and white, and I was wrong to make a judgment about—"

"What the hell are you talking about? Black and white?" He looked at the starkly colored robes he wore and shook his head. "We need to resolve this, Sakura, and we can't until I understand what happened. What did I do to make you run away without saying goodbye? Start at the beginning, and speak plainly. There's no need for analogies or metaphor."

"I…" Sakura blinked her eyes as she fought back tears. Wasn't it enough that she was willing to put up with his "quirk", as her lover had so eloquently put it in this morning's dream? Why did he need for her to spell it out? She took a deep breath and began again. "I made a mistake. Your sexual proclivities aren't something I should judge."

"My sexual proclivities. You mean the fact that I read dirty novels?"

"No." She turned away from him.

She couldn't say it, he realized. His voice was gentle when he next spoke. "Sakura, you think that I'm attracted to little girls, don't you?"

Her eyes widened as she looked at him. He'd actually said it, which meant that it was true, didn't it?

"I don't, you know. I overheard you talking to that Santaku woman."

"It doesn't matter, Kakashi. You never acted on those desires, so it really doesn't matter what you think of when we--."

"Are you listening? I _don't_ like little girls. I'm attracted to _you_, Sakura, the woman sitting by my side, not the preteen I met twelve years ago. Who was rather bratty, and a bit ridiculous, I might add."

"Then why…?"

"You mean what were we talking about the other night? Apparently, two completely different things." He sighed as he moved aside his kimono to access his kunai pouch. He pulled out the white volume of Icha, Icha and handed it to her. "Don't be angry at me when you look at this. It seems that Jiraiya—"

"That bastard! He promised me he'd handed over all of the drawings he'd made!" She fumed as she paged through the book, blushing ever more deeply with each consecutive image.

"You knew about this?" Kakashi couldn't hide his astonishment.

"I caught him spying when I visited Naruto at the hot springs. I threatened him, and he handed over the drawings he'd made. Then I burned them. I can't believe—"

"This is only a galley, Sakura. I'll make sure the book isn't published."

"_I'll_ make sure it isn't published."

Kakashi grabbed the book from her, before she had time to tear it into pieces, and hastily replaced it in his pouch. "To get back to the subject, I thought you had found the book and that it was the reason you were so upset. Things snowballed from there, I guess."

"Oh." The two sat silently for a while, each apparently contemplating the austere garden before them. The reality was far from this, however. Sakura arranged and rearranged in her mind the pieces of the puzzle that was Kakashi. Some still didn't fit, however.

"You don't believe me, do you?"

"No, I do. Really, I do." She paused, aware that the vehemence of her response suggested otherwise. "It's just that you said that you'd been in love with me forever. What did you mean by that?"

He sighed again. "That is was hard to pinpoint exactly when it happened."

"When was it, approximately?"

He hesitated, and she picked up on it immediately.

Her face betrayed her crestfallen state. He apparently wasn't willing to tell her exactly when he realized he loved her, or even give her a rough estimate. Why? What did he have to hide if she hadn't been a child when the change in his feelings occurred?

"Sakura. A relationship has to be built on trust. The look on your face, your body language—everything—says you're trying really hard, but you still don't believe me."

"I—"

"I'm not going to watch our relationship crumble around us, and I don't know what I'd do if you left again. You mean too much to me. Let's go back to the room. I want you to see for yourself how I've felt about you for the past twelve years."

"They'll hear us. Kakashi, this isn't the time or place—"

Kakashi laughed unabashedly. "Who said I was talking about sex? I have something completely different in mind."

**Glossary**

Shika—the head monk in a monastery. He is not the spiritual leader, however. Rather, he is in charge of administration of the monastery.

Shikkui—Japanese stucco, often used to cover exterior walls.

Abbot- the spiritual leader of the monastery, who gives talks and holds conferences with students.

Roshi—title given to a zen master, one who has clearly attained enlightenment and who has helped others on the path to enlightenment. A temple may or may not have a roshi, as the title is difficult to earn, being transmitted from roshi to student only on occasion. The roshi may the abbot of the monastery. In this case, the roshi you've met is quite elderly, and therefore retired, although he still lives on site.

Tanga-ryo- a guest room in a Buddhist monastery.

Nemaki- sleeping kimono, akin to pajamas

Deshi- a disciple to a shishou. Their relationship mirrors that of a parent and child in terms of reverence and instruction.


	43. True Intimacy—12 date, pt 2

_Disclaimer: Naruto and associated characters are property of Masashi Kishimoto. They are not my property!_

**Fourteen Dates **

_Author's note: I apologize for the delay in posting this. I do contract work, and it seems to come in waves. The past month has been pretty intense (tsunami-like?) with little time left over for anything resembling recreation. (But I did see _Paprika. _Wow.)_

_As promised, there is a fairly graphic lemon towards the end of this chapter—so you've been warned. _

_Also, a lot of technical pseudo-scientific stuff, but this story is coming full circle and I felt it needed to be there. I'm aware that the sheer length of this story has been off-putting to some, but I'm hoping that it hasn't been to everyone. Thank you for those of you who have stuck with it. In a lot of fan fiction I've read, there is not a lot of plot or character development. When I read a story about Kakashi and Sakura (the only Naruto ff I read, by the way!) I want it to be about more than the taboo aspect of their relationship. (Okay, that's not entirely true. There's nothing like a nice, steamy KakaSaku one shot. But in a multi-chapter story, I'm looking for a bit more.) I like it when authors attempt to show the reader what makes each character tick, and in any story I read, I hope to find that the characters grow as the story progresses—that they are slightly different people at the end of the story, for better or worse. I've been attempting to do that in this story, and it is the purpose for a lot of what you'll read in this chapter. All in all, I'm not sure that I've succeeded as I'm still somewhat new to this (one year anniversary approaching!) but at least now you know my intent._

_Anyway, enjoy, and thanks to everyone who has reviewed!_

**Chapter 43: True Intimacy—Twelfth date, part two**

Perhaps it was because they were staying in a sickroom, but the futons they'd spent the night on were still unrolled upon the floor when they entered their quarters, although they'd been made up with fresh bedclothes. Kakashi sat down on one thin mattress, pulling Sakura into his lap as he did so. The bulkiness of her robes prevented her from straddling him, but nonetheless, their near embrace was provocative. It was clear to Sakura, however, from the tension in his body, that Kakashi had not been dissembling when he'd said he wasn't thinking about sex. Something else was on his mind. That didn't mean she couldn't appreciate the man next to her, though.

They sat quietly for a while, savoring each other's presence, until Sakura finally spoke.

"So?"

The infuriatingly uncommunicative copy ninja did not respond.

"You said you had something to show me."

Kakashi remained silent long enough for Sakura to wonder if he'd heard her. Then he spoke. "I do."

She waited for him to elaborate, then sighed loudly.

"Well? Show me."

"It's not quite that simple."

Her brow furrowed in puzzlement.

"You're talking in riddles."

"Promise me you'll do what I ask."

"What do you want me to do? I don't understand—"

He put a finger to her lips as he continued, halting her side of the conversation.

"Will you?"

She looked at him intently. His eye held no sparkle, and his uncovered face did not show the slightest trace of humor, lust, or the common laziness she so often saw writ there. He was testing her, she thought, trying to determine if she really trusted him.

"Okay," she answered softly. "I'll do whatever it is you want me to do."

He smiled, then settled back onto the pillows, pulling Sakura alongside his lean frame so that they lay side by side. He turned to look her in the eyes.

"I want you to take another look around my mind."

"What? No!" Sakura sat up abruptly. "I can't do that! It would be completely wrong, completely unethical to use a forbidden jutsu to—"

"There's a medical reason. You should probably take a look at my eye to see how it's healing, especially since I just overexerted it. You needed to check its wiring last time, didn't you?" She nodded warily. "And if you're already poking around in there…"

"Yes, but… last time was different. I never intended to sift through your memories. What I saw was accidental. That wouldn't be true this time. Kakashi, I'm not going to invade your memories and thoughts just to placate my own insecurities."

"Hana, you just promised me you would."

"You tricked me!"

He laughed. "Hardly." He reached for her hand, and pulled gently, silently urging her to lie down next to him. "You know I rarely leap before looking. I plan things out, and consider multiple possibilities."

She smiled wryly. "You're also a master of understatement."

"This is the best course of action, given the circumstances. I said before that I'm unwilling to lose you." Kakashi closed his eyes as he continued. "I can't say this from prior experience, but I know that trust is the bedrock of a relationship."

"_I trust you, Kakashi."_

"I know you do. But not completely. Our relationship will be tested, Sakura, and even the tiniest crack in its foundation could be lethal."

"You said we shouldn't talk in metaphors."

"Actually, I said _you_ shouldn't talk in metaphors." He smiled. "But I will speak plainly. When we get back to Konoha there will be talk, Sakura--"

"So? We've been over this before. I already told you that I don't care about gossip."

"The most insidious rumors have their basis in fact. Just enough to make them believable, and to keep them circulating. Like it or not, when we get back you'll be 'The Girl Who Slept With Her Teacher.' Emphasis on _girl_."

"You're not my teacher! That was years ago! I was _twelve_."

"Exactly. That's the grain of truth. Add to that the fact that I've been reading Jiraiya's novels since I was sixteen, and 'teacher as twisted pedophile, student as Lolita' becomes a very believable scenario. Almost a certainty in a lot of people's minds, I'd think."

"So? Our friends will know the truth, and you said Tsunade is okay with it. Isn't that all that matters?"

"What matters is _us_. I don't want to lose you. Even if you don't believe what they say, the doubt is already there. Maybe their talk wouldn't immediately tear us apart, but it would make it easier for the next stress to do so. A shinobi's life is too filled with death and pain to think that there won't be something that tests us."

"Do you really think I'm that weak?"

"No. Not weak, human. Like me."

She looked at him, eyebrows lowered into a scowl. The man was so stubborn. It was clear he wouldn't budge on the issue. Even worse, she could see that he was right. She wasn't naïve enough to think that they'd live happily ever after. That didn't happen even for civilian relationships. There was a reason, a very good reason why most shinobi just didn't do relationships—they tended to be doomed from the start, and seldom lasted more than several months. The one night stand, therefore, had a very clear, almost honorable purpose within the ninja subculture.

"There's no way I could sort through all the memories stored in your brain—there could be millions. Billions. So what would be the point of trying?"

"Sample."

"Sample?"

"If I really do have a thing for little girls, there should be a bunch of memories, or fantasies, or whatever, either about you as a girl, or of other little girls. Men think about sex pretty much all of the time—"

"So I've heard. Some more than others, I'd wager." She smirked and he relaxed immediately, apparently inferring that she'd bought into his plan.

"So if I were into little girls, even a small sample should contain some of those memories."

"That makes sense."

"Fifty memories should be enough."

"_Fifty_? How about _five_?" Sakura telegraphed her frustration with her fists, leaving a sizeable dent in the kapok-filled mattress.

"Sakura, you know much more than I do about research, but even I know that looking at five memories would be meaningless. A thousand would give you really good data--" He smiled at the reaction this suggestion provoked in the hot-tempered kunoichi.

"Fifty will work," Sakura said quickly.

"Another thing."

She laughed as she shook her head incredulously. Just what else could he request of her? That she live inside of him for a week or two? Explore his body functions? Was the man a masochist?

"Knock me out first."

"Why?"

"I don't want to control the memories you see."

She was silent for a minute as she digested his words.

"Ibiki taught you."

"Most ANBU learn how to hide vital information. Usually only one or two things at a time—it's a hard technique to master."

"Is it ninjutsu?"

"No, strictly meditation."

"Oh." Sakura thought for a while, considering the task she'd reluctantly accepted. "I guess I'll just put you to sleep. An anesthesia technique would interfere with dreaming, and that might be a problem."

"Dreaming would be good. I'd like to have some idea of what part of my twisted mind you've visited." He smiled sheepishly. "I apologize in advance."

"Is it going to be that bad?"

"Like I said, most men think about sex a lot."

"And you're not most men."

"In my case, I'd say 99 percent of the time would be accurate. Particularly when you're in the room."

She blushed at the compliment, despite her concern. "So you were hiding things from me when I did this before." He had to have been. She hadn't stumbled across a single sexual image when she'd explored his mind previously. Funny that she hadn't noticed that at the time. Of course, she wasn't the one who thought about sex 99 percent of the time.

He nodded as he apologized again. "I didn't want to scare you, and those massages and sponge baths stirred up some pretty vivid fantasies. Not to mention the reading."

She smiled, unexpectedly pleased with herself. "So I guess my plan worked."

"Your plan to seduce me?" He grinned at her wickedly.

"No, baka. My plan to bring you out of your coma."

"People don't call you Konoha's foremost medical ninja for nothing, you know."

She ignored the compliment. "You don't have to do this."

"Yes. I'm fairly certain we do. It's the prudent thing to do."

Sakura barely restrained herself from punching him. "Stop thinking like a shinobi-- just for a moment. Just be my lover. How can you be so willing to let me hurt you?"

He chuckled as he smoothed her hair. "How will this hurt me?"

"Doesn't it hurt to think that the woman you love doesn't trust you enough to simply take you at your word?"

"Of course it hurts."

"Then--?"

"The two are unrelated in the end."

"You're not making sense. How can they not be related?"

"That hurt is already here. Showing you the truth doesn't change that. But it does prevent further damage."

_Besides, if you can accept me after seeing how I truly am, then we can survive anything together_.

"But it does prevent further damage? " The man's logic was impeccable, as usual. What she wouldn't give to have a mind like his, Sakura thought. "So it's like cutting off a diseased limb."

"Nice analogy. A bit graphic, though, don't you think?"

_No, not really_, Sakura thought to herself. Tearing into his memories seemed plenty violent, in her view. She decided to keep this opinion to herself, however. It was clear that continued arguing would get her nowhere. She was correct in her earlier assessment. Kakashi was easily the most obstinate man she had ever met.

"Let's get started." She settled against him after casting the genjutsu that would put him to sleep, and, after removing his hitae-ate, rested her right hand against his Sharingan eye. She'd be comfortable, at least, more so than the last time she'd done this. The sleeping Kakashi looked unperturbed, she saw, completely at peace with the idea he'd suggested. His eye felt slightly inflamed, Obito's chakra mixing unstably with his own. She wondered what damage prolonged chakra contact might have on a person. It was one thing for a medic to imbue another with healing energy. It was only done under the tightest of controls, and never for long—hours at most. The same had been true of the somewhat unusual (yet characteristically perverted) technique Kakashi had learned from Jiraiya's scroll. But this was different—two bodies, in effect, were occupying the same space for an extended period of time. Itachi's vision, she knew, had suffered from overuse of the Sharingan. Would Kakashi's suffer even more greatly due to this compounding factor? Having his own personal medic might be of some use, Sakura thought dryly, assuming he let her examine him regularly.

Sakura pulled her hand away, as she realized she was stalling. She really didn't want to access Kakashi's memories, and this reluctance had little to do with the large number of sex dreams and fantasies her lover had assumed she'd encounter. Despite his permission, this still felt like the ultimate invasion of privacy. Like rape, as she'd described it earlier. The fact that he so wanted her to do so only made things worse. This was ample evidence of his innocence when it came to this matter of sexual taste. He wouldn't bluff about something this serious. Sakura sighed. She could pretend she'd accessed his memories, but that wouldn't work. She'd placed him into a dream state so that he'd remember the images she accessed. He'd know therefore, if she cut the session short. She admonished herself for even considering such a plan, however briefly. It was absolutely hateful to even consider acting in such a way. Dishonesty in the face of a gesture this selfless would make a mockery of their relationship. She'd promised Kakashi that she'd do as he asked, and the truth was that no matter her reluctance, she had the easier side of the bargain. Sakura took a deep breath as she steeled her resolve. The sooner she got started the sooner they could put this miserable episode behind them.

She quickly made the seals that would allow her to penetrate into his brain, and placed her hands again over his Sharingan eye. She moved along his optic nerve, soothing it as she did so, until she was confident that the recent damage he had done to his visual system was repaired. _Time to move on_, she told herself as she inspected the bundle of nerves for the umpteenth time. _You're procrastinating again._

She realized quickly that Kakashi's suggestion to sample his memories was not a useful one. If memories were arranged completely randomly within his temporal lobe this might have been an efficient strategy, but this didn't appear to be the case. Sakura focused in on the individual cells making up his brain tissue and saw that if she lightly touched one cell with a minute amount of chakra, an entire network of cells lit up. During her previous visit she hadn't noticed this, but she also hadn't been looking at the cells at this level of detail. The cells, she now noticed, were connected together like the filaments of a spider web, into a three dimensional, lacy cobweb. The many elements of one chakra-lit cobweb seemed to comprise one memory. The first network she touched released a fragment from Kakashi's youth—a birthday, perhaps. She saw a beautiful dark-haired woman she assumed was his mother, who leaned into him and murmured happy, proud words. He had inherited her lean, almost willowy body shape, and her dark eyes, though little else, Sakura saw . She wished she could see an image of this young Kakashi, but she guessed that like most boys, he had spent very little time in front of mirrors. There was almost no chance, therefore of finding an image of young Kakashi among all flotsam of the countless memories surrounding her.

Sakura touched the cell just next to the first, and was surprised to see that this memory was much newer. It seemingly had nothing to do with the birthday memory stored alongside it. This one was a memory she had herself—of the day she'd first met the copy ninja. It was amusing to feel his surprise at being clunked on the head with a dust-laden eraser, almost as amusing as it was to realize that he had targeted Naruto as the culprit just as soon as he clapped eyes on him—before the young boy even had a chance to break into howls of laughter, before the eraser ever hit his head. It was less amusing to hear Kakashi's immediate appraisal of the pink-haired kunoichi assigned as his student. He had sighed internally. Apparently he had been hoping for an all male team, though those were a rarity. She heard his unspoken words. "She's a suck-up." And she had been, she realized as warmth crept into her face.

Sakura pulled back from the memory, and from the network of cells storing it, and concentrated on developing a plan to quickly survey Kakashi's mind. This hadn't been a sexual memory, but it was a useful one, despite its humiliating nature. Kakashi certainly hadn't found her sexually appealing on their very first encounter. Anything but, in fact. So this was a point in his favor. Where should she look next? She considered the structure of the cobweb of cells she'd just accessed. Each cell was branched, allowing it to connect to thousands of other cells. Not all of the interconnecting cells were lit, however. Still, these cells must be connected for a reason.

_They're related memories_, Sakura realized. The brain had some method of classifying memories so that they could be accessed on demand. If she were to trace along one of the unlit branches with her chakra, a new network should illuminate. And the memory housed there should have something to do with this memory of their first meeting. Sakura extended her chakra along a single, threadlike connection, and was delighted to see that when she did so, another set of cells lit up. A memory flooded into her mind. This was of another memory they held in common—Naruto introducing himself in terms of the ramen that defined a very large portion of his personality, Sasuke defining himself in terms of his hatred of his brother, and young Sakura not defining herself at all, merely giggling as she gave numerous sidelong glances to the dark haired Uchiha next to her. She heard Kakashi's internal voice again, as he dismissed her and other kunoichi of her age.

This was humiliating. But the man had been right in his assessment of each of them. And Sakura had been right in thinking the memories were connected. The young medic smiled as she allowed her chakra to travel along another unlit branch but was disappointed when the next memory came into view. This one was about Naruto—apparently one of the many times he and the young boy had eaten together. Kakashi, she noticed, deftly avoided paying the bill, but did stick around outside (he was well hidden, she surmised) to giggle in pleasure as the boy emptied his formerly full frog purse.

Sakura backtracked. Although this memory told her quite a bit about Kakashi (how many grown men giggle?), it wasn't particularly useful. Every cell, she realized, was like a room containing many doors. Each door led to another memory, connected in some way to the current one—perhaps they shared the same players, or perhaps they were connected tangentially, by location, time of day, or even smell. She opened door after door, traversing each long, spindly hallway with her chakra. She quickly realized that the passages differed. Some seemed to be wider than others, some more well-traversed than others. These ones must be the memories that were called upon often.

Sakura quickly limited her search to these most vital memories and in doing so, realized something else. Kakashi was right—he, at least, did seem to think about sex almost all of the time. Those hallways were widest, and if they'd been carpeted, Sakura had no doubt they'd be threadbare.

Fantasies differed from real memories, she saw. It was easy to discern them. The edges of both waking and sleeping dreams were indistinct, as though they took place in a fog, and there were far fewer details. What was there, then, was even more important. Sakura laughed as fantasy after fantasy revealed the same thing—breasts. And large ones at that. Not Tsunade-sized, but not those of an average woman either. Or even an above-average woman. These were ninety ninth percentile breasts. Connoisseur's breasts. A variety of women filled the fantasies—women of all heights and colors and often, more than one woman per fantasy—but the common denominator was the abundance of firm, rounded flesh. Sakura realized she had been dead on, weeks earlier, when she'd mocked Jiraiya's depiction of gravity-defying, melon-like breasts. Their cartoonish sexuality seemed to be a constant focus of this man's dreams, anyway.

This was important, too, she realized. No ten year old, no matter how precocious, had breasts like those in Kakashi's imaginings. And no one even remotely resembling a preadolescent figured in these fantasies—not even in the most minor roles.

He hadn't lied to her. But she had already realized that.

He liked lingerie, too, she realized, but she had already gathered that from their interlude at Noriko's Secret. He was fond of leather too—black, metal-studded leather. Sakura walked quickly though the short but detailed fantasy of a well endowed girl in a leather bustier and dog collar. Plus leash. _Kakashi. Men_. Her face reddened as she opened the door to a particularly vivid memory. What exactly was--? She quickly found the nearest exit and scurried through it, her face hot with embarrassment.

It had been she, Sakura, in that particular fantasy, sporting scanty black silk garments and holding an unidentified object. An adult Sakura, yes, thankfully. But did he really want to do that with her? Or rather, did he really want her to do that in front of him? She crept back inside the fantasy and watched closely as it replayed itself, still filled with shock at the graphic nature of the images before her. Did she really look like that when she orgasmed? The woman she saw was filled with abandon, and seemed almost out of her mind with bliss. Sakura felt Kakashi's emotions wash through her. He thought she was beautiful, inexpressibly so. She felt the depths of his attraction to her—his overpowering lust—but something else as well. She felt a feeling of belonging-- that he saw her as belonging to him. Not as a possession—it wasn't a materialistic, greedy emotion she felt. This was the feeling of being one with someone, of seeing someone as an extension of oneself. Of never wanting to be parted.

Of deep, abiding love.

Sakura traveled down wide, much traveled corridors and saw herself as Kakashi did. Most of these memories were fantasies, but some, she saw, had actually happened. It was strange to watch the consummation of their relationship from his point of view, but he'd meant it, even then, when he'd said he loved her. This had never been a sex-only relationship for the copy ninja.

She must have viewed at least forty memories by now, Sakura thought. If she was going to do this right—and she should, considering she'd promised Kakashi she would—she needed to go back in time, to look at Kakashi's relationship with the non-adult Sakura. She moved quickly down hallways still possessing traces of her chakra as she retraced her movements. She moved out again, after choosing their first day together as a new point of origin, and moved adeptly through the maze-like circuitry of her lover's mind. Memories of team seven were connected together, as she was sure they would be, and Sakura quickly found the images and sounds associated with their first bell test.

He hadn't thought much of her then, she realized, and the sadistic streak she had been sure he possessed was definitely in evidence. She watched through his eyes as he crept up on her, and felt his silent chuckle as he quickly pulled together a genjutsu that would terrify her. Some people got into teaching for the wrong reasons, it seemed. She planned to have a little discussion with him about this particular memory.

Connected to these images was the second bell test. She'd been fifteen at the time. She laughed aloud as she felt Kakashi's utter surprise at being uncovered by the single, powerful blow she'd struck into the earth, and she felt his deep admiration—and a touch of guilt—at the immense growth she'd made under the Hokage. Another door beckoned, and now Sakura found herself in her own apartment. She watched as her younger self, almost senseless in her distress, was pulled into a strong embrace. She heard his words comfort her—words she hadn't been able to discern at the time, and she also heard the thoughts he hadn't expressed. She felt feelings of compassion, and powerlessness and the same feeling she'd felt before. It was nascent, newly unfolding, but it was the same.

It wasn't lust, and it wasn't pity.

It was simple, unadulterated love.

Sakura opened her eyes and broke the jutsu, then pressed her lips against those of the still-sleeping Kakashi. She kissed him over and over, as though they'd been separated for weeks.

"Why are you crying?" She hadn't expected him to wake up so soon. She saw uncertainty, and then anxiety pass through his mismatched eyes, as he attempted to wipe away the wetness that covered her face.

She kissed him again.

"Because I love you. Completely. And because I'm sorry—so sorry—I didn't trust you."

"Don't apologize." His smile was unrestrained, and almost overpowering in its luminosity. "Are you telling me you still want me after all of that? Warts and all?"

"After all of that? Kakashi, I want you more." She crushed her lips against his, surprising him with the ferocity of her embrace. "And I know for a fact that you don't have warts," she said mischievously when they finally broke the kiss.

Their stomachs growled almost simultaneously.

"Another sign that we were meant to be together." Kakashi stood and rolled up the bamboo blind that covered the room's single window. "It's late-- the moon has already risen. Oh, well. Missing a meal won't hurt either of us. Come here, Sakura."

She joined him by the window, and sighed contentedly as wrapped his arms around her.

"Are we okay?"

"Sure."

"I would think you'd want to talk about some of those memories."

"Later. There'll be plenty of time for that later." She was quiet for a moment as she looked into the clear night sky. It would probably be getting quite cold that evening, she thought idly. There was a faint halo around the half-moon. She shook her head as she realized she was avoiding asking a question that needed to be asked. But she had to ask it—she needed to know.

"You fell in love with me when I was sixteen, didn't you? That's what the memory felt like, anyway."

He thought for a moment. "Yes, I guess it was around the time that your parents died that I realized it."

"A sixteen-year old isn't a child, Kakashi. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because… your parents had died." He closed his eyes. "It wouldn't have been fair to saddle you with something like that. You were an emotional wreck—you didn't need me to add to it."

"Oh."

"But that's not all." He was silent, then.

She waited, more patiently than she had done in their earlier conversation.

"I was your teacher, Sakura."

"No, you weren't."

"You were underage."

"I was sixteen. I was on my own. I was old enough to make my own decisions."

Her eyes flashed, and Kakashi restrained himself from laughing.

_Zero to pissed in 3 seconds flat._

"It wasn't that simple. Try to step outside of it for a minute—look at it objectively."

"Why should I be objective? It's _us_ we're talking about. We could have been together for the past eight years!"

"Sakura, have you ever thought about why a teacher-student relationship is seen as taboo? Really thought about it?"

"Because the teacher might change the student's grades?"

Kakashi laughed softly. "That's an immediate reason, but it's the least important one. The real reason is because the teacher is a surrogate parent."

"I never saw you as a father, Kakashi."

"Just listen for a moment. There's no doubt that a sexual relationship between a father and daughter is wrong, is there?" Sakura noticed how soothing, how patient Kakashi's voice was.

"Of course that kind of relationship is wrong. Genetically—"

"Forget about inbreeding for a minute, my little scientist. Would it be wrong if the daughter was adopted?"

She considered his question carefully.

"Yes. It would."

"Why?"

"Because he's her father."

"But not genetically."

"Because. Because their relationship is unequal. She owes her life to him, even if he didn't father her. He's spent his life providing for her and protecting her, and he can order her around. They're not partners."

"And it would be easier for him to take advantage of her than a full-grown woman. She might do it to please him. She might not even realize she was doing it to please him. She might think they were in love, and that it was right."

"So, you think that when I was a sixteen year old, you would have been able to seduce me?" He couldn't read the expression in her eyes, but an image of a powder keg flashed into Kakashi's mind, then exploded.

"I don't doubt your intelligence or your critical faculties. You're brilliant, Sakura, and you were brilliant then. But your parents had died."

"So, you could have waited a few months! And you wouldn't have been seducing me. I would have fallen--"

"If you'd let me continue." Sakura paused in her quiet tirade. The least he deserved after tonight's walk through his brain was for her to listen to him.

"You've been around Genma enough to see that he is fully capable of seducing the brightest of teenagers. He's had plenty of practice at that particular art. We all have. Maybe I wouldn't have seduced you. Maybe you would have come to me on your own. But even if you'd freely consented, it wouldn't have been a relationship between equals. It couldn't be that until you became an adult."

"Which was when? When I turned eighteen? Twenty-one? I'm twenty-four!" Her voice was a soft, angry hiss as she tried to control her volume. She was sure the many residents of the monastery had no desire to listen in on their argument. And if they did, she had no desire to oblige them.

"I was scared."

She looked at him skeptically. "You're never scared."

He shrugged his shoulders. "Normally, I'd agree with you."

"Why?"

"I already told you. I'd never been in love before. And I'd lost everyone precious to me."

"Make love to me."

"Now?"

"We need to make up for lost time." She gave him a small smile that signaled that despite the vehemence of her recent outburst, everything was now okay.

He shook his head as he contemplated the bundle of conflicting emotions before him. "In a monastery? What happened to that innocent little girl I used to know?"

"She met _you_. By the way, we need to talk about your leather fetish."

The copy ninja raised an eyebrow. "I hadn't planned on sharing that with you for a while. But if you like, we can go shopping tomorrow." He unfastened the rag-woven obi that held her robes closed and smiled as she slid that long, dark garment to the floor.

"Your turn," she whispered. She pulled at his obi and he smiled as he saw the glint of lust in her moonlit eyes. Her hands moved deftly as she disrobed him and her tongue moved immediately to caress his scar-adorned flesh. It flickered over his carotid artery, over the sensitive flesh at the nape of his neck, and lower, across his collarbones and down to the slightly pigmented skin surrounding his nipples. She bit at them lightly, earning a small gasp as reward, then dropped to her knees.

"You might want to grab hold of something," she whispered before taking him fully into her mouth.

He cried out in surprise, then sighed as she released him with a small popping noise. "Hush. It won't be any fun if we're interrupted, will it?" She looked at him innocently as she licked the very tip of his throbbing length.

"Sakura." His voice was a needy whisper.

"I learned a lot tonight, you know." She continued licking the most sensitive part of his sex, running her tongue along the ridge of tissue that separated it from his long, thick shaft as she gazed upward to gauge his response.

The copy ninja groaned.

"I learned that you like this—" her tongue slid along the ridge than ran along the underside of his engorged member, "and this." She applied gentle suction to his glistening head as she cupped his scrotum.

"How about this?" Her lips surrounded, then slid over him as she relaxed her throat to give him maximum pleasure. She moved slowly at first, savoring the feel of him against the sensitive tissues of her mouth, then gradually increased the pace until he heard him panting and felt his hands in her hair, urging her to stop.

"You didn't like that?" she said with perfectly feigned innocence.

"My turn," he said hoarsely as he lifted her off her feet and carried her to the thin mattress. "No screaming. Think you can manage?"

"Ganbarimasu."

He ravaged her with his tongue, caressing the areas he knew to be most sensitive, and discovering new ones. Along with her labile emotions came a ready access to passion. Sakura was easily the most passionate woman he'd ever met. She didn't hold back when it came to showing her feelings, and she didn't hold back now, as he caressed her clitoris with feather-light strokes. With each touch she grew wetter, slicker, warmer. He paused for a moment, when he heard a muffled cry, and looked up to see that she had pressed a pillow across her mouth, in an effort to hush the cries of pleasure she seemed unable to control.

He moved the pillow aside, replacing it with his lips, and leisurely explored the warm cavern of her mouth. He moved his attentions to her breasts, pausing to admire how they glowed, almost opalescent in the cool moonlight that bathed the small room. He rubbed his teeth across her fully erect nipples, mimicking her actions of minutes ago, and smiled victoriously at the whimper she emitted. He bit down gently, then sucked at the rigid tissue atop each half globe.

"They're not enough for you, are they?"

"You've got to be kidding. They're perfect." He returned to his expert ministrations.

She wriggled underneath him, attempting to release herself from this intimate embrace. He stopped his caressed and looked at her curiously.

"They're much smaller than the ones in your fantasies."

"Men are wired that way. We think in absolutes. Fantasies are drawn in black or white-- there's no subtlety there. In reality, though, I much prefer these." He rolled a turgid nipple between his teeth. "Besides, you'd get a black eye running around with boobs like those. And how would you throw a kunai? You'd have no follow-through."

Sakura giggled. "I probably wouldn't be able to walk—I'd keep tipping over. I wonder how Tsunade can wear high heels?"

"I really don't want to think about Tsunade right now."

"Me either." She gasped as she felt his member slide against her, and she pushed her hips against his in an effort to move things along. He ignored her not-so-subtle request.

"Don't tease me."

"You have me at a disadvantage, you know."

"Huh?"

"You know my deepest fantasies, but I have no idea about yours."

The woman displaying her passion so openly just moments before blushed fiercely now. He shouldn't have been surprised. Sakura was a giver, after all, a born nurturer. It was much easier to devote herself fully to another's needs than to even acknowledge her own. Kakashi intended to change that, if only slightly.

"What do you want?"

"You."

"Me?"

She blushed more deeply. "You. Inside of me. I want to feel you deep inside of me. I want you to fuck me, Kakashi."

In a moment he'd impaled himself inside of her.

"Like that?"

"Harder. Please."

He slammed into her, over and over.

"Make me scream, Kakashi."

"No screaming tonight, Sakura."

"I'm coming, Kakashi." Her cries grew louder as she thrashed beneath him. He felt her slick, hot walls contracting violently as she slipped over the edge. He pressed his hand against her mouth to muffle the screams she seemed unable to control. He felt her body relax and her consciousness return from the abyss of pleasure.

"Did you come, Kakashi?"

"Not yet. Are you ready for more?"

"You want to take me from behind, don't you?" She smiled as she remembered a particularly vivid image. He rolled her roughly into a prone position by way of response. He folded the pillow from her mattress and his own and secured them under her abdomen so that her firm, round derriere was easily accessible, then drove into her liquid warmth. She was dripping wet, yet velvety soft and completely irresistible. He felt her contract around him almost immediately, and knew he wouldn't be able to last much longer. She spasmed against him, her slick, tight flesh milking him rhythmically, and he gave in to the pleasure that inundated him.

He collapsed against her, spent, as he slowly came back to himself.

"Kakashi?" He heard Sakura's voice, somewhat muffled as she was still pressed against the mattress.

He rolled off of her, and pulled her against him, kissing her languidly as they savored the afterglow of their lovemaking.

"You don't think they heard, did you?"

Kakashi chuckled. "Well you did tell them we're married, didn't you?" He smiled as her noticed her embarrassed blush.

"Yes… but somehow, I don't think they believed me. That might have been due to the fact that I was dressed like a whore, though."

"Hmm. Guess we'll have to set them straight, then."


	44. Himitsu Bako 13th date

_Disclaimer: Naruto and associated characters are property of Masashi Kishimoto. They are not my property!_

**Fourteen Dates **

_Author's note: I apologize for the delay in getting this written and posted—I've been ill for most of this month. To make up for it, this is a very long chapter. Thanks for all of your reviews and support!_

_Warning: Fluff alert. But after all this couple has been through, they deserve some, don't you think? Oh, and lemon alert, too. Just a brief one (I'm saving the good stuff for the final chapter)._

**Chapter 44: Himitsu Bako – Thirteenth Date**

It was three-thirty a.m., based on the sound emanating from the hallway. The sound of wood striking against wood was the daily wakeup call for the monastery, and this morning, for Kakashi, as well. He wanted to get an early start on the day, as it was a four hour journey back to Kawahana, the town most likely to have the supplies they'd need to acquire before leaving the monastery. Kakashi rose quietly and turned to admire the form of the woman sleeping next to him. Her features were softened by the liquid light cast by the setting half-moon, and her lips were slightly parted. Her eyes moved back and forth under their lids, an indication that she was dreaming.

About what, he wondered. The answer came soon enough.

"Kakashi." Her voice was so soft that he barely heard her. "Kiss me."

He couldn't resist. He dropped to his knees and gently pressed his lips against hers, then rose again to look at her. Sakura's cheeks had flushed and her peaceful expression had turned to one of desire.

"I love you. Mmmm… Please…"

She was still asleep, clearly, her body fully responsive to his touch, while her mind remained lost in a place of its own construction. Kakashi wondered if his dream self would accommodate her desires. Her gentle moan told him yes. He watched her body writhe under unseen ministrations, her back arch with desire. With difficulty, he tore himself away from the erotic scene unfolding before him, and quickly dressed in his newly laundered uniform. He— _they_— had waited long enough. It was time to put things in motion.

He grabbed his pack and shoes and quietly left the room, moving aside as a procession of sleepy-eyed novices passed by, undoubtedly on their way to the washroom. Kakashi paused before the wooden han used to mark the time at the monastery. In the dim light cast by a hanging oil lamp he saw words inscribed on its rough-hewn surface. "No one knows when death will occur; it may be much sooner than one expects," it read, in part.

"May I join you?"

Kakashi turned to see the elderly Zen master approaching.

"Harada-roshi." The copy ninja bowed slightly. "It would be my pleasure."

The old man gestured toward the zendo as he joined Kakashi. "They won't miss a doddering old fool like me. Your father was an early riser, too, I remember."

"Yes." They walked down a slate path to the imposing gate to the compound.

"You look like a man with unfinished business."

Kakashi laughed. "Long unfinished."

"And it's related to your Sakura, is it not?"

Kakashi turned abruptly to face the aged monk. "How can you tell?"

"It's in your face. Even covered as it is, your thoughts are legible. One doesn't get to be roshi without being able to see beneath the beneath."

"My dad could always read me, too. I take it he learned this from you?"

The older man smiled as he unlatched the gate's heavy door, and stood aside as Kakashi passed through. "He would have been an excellent monk. So would you, I think." He laughed at the copy ninja's surprised expression. "That was a joke. I'd be happy to marry the two of you."

"You knew?"

"Daigu was right. Wives tend not to be dressed the way Sakura-san was when they found her."

"And still you let us—"

Harada chuckled. "I may regret that decision. You two were a bit noisy last night. It will be interesting to gauge the novice's reactions—they probably considered it as yet another test of endurance."

"I… we'd be honored if you'd marry us. Today, if possible."

The man smiled placidly. "Well, then. Hurry back."

Kakashi walked for a while before summoning Pakkun, pausing first to scrawl a message onto a small scroll. He secured the hastily written message into the small pug's collar before dismissing him with a curt command. The dog was not inclined to leave, however. He sat, then raised his hind leg to idly scratch behind his ear.

"May I ask what this is about? It's not even four a.m., Kakashi. Civilized beings are still asleep, you know. Just because you don't have someone warm to snuggle up against…" The dog stretched and yawned dramatically to punctuate his statement, then cocked his head as he regarded the Sharingan user. "Oh. I take it you found her, and everything's okay. That's what it smells like, anyway."

"Yes."

"Thanks for telling me. Do you have any idea how worried I was?"

Kakashi looked at his longtime companion sheepishly. "Well, I was injured and pretty out of it…"

"You look just fine right now."

"I need your help, Pakkun. You know I appreciate you."

The dog smiled, baring his long eyeteeth. It didn't take much to get on his good side-- just a modicum of praise every now and then.

"So you're back together and everything is fine?"

"Yes. Everything is…better than I'd hoped. That's why—"

"That's what this mission is about? Why didn't you say so at the beginning? Humans…" he groused, before turning to face due east. "You have to make everything so complicated."

Kakashi scratched his head in bemusement as the dog bounded off. He'd never realized that Pakkun, like Sakura, was not the morning type. He wondered what else they had in common, besides favorite shampoo, that is.

The copy ninja arrived in the resort town of Kawahana just as the market stalls were being set up. He bought several onigiri and wolfed them down, along with piping hot tea, which lessened the chill he felt. He noticed several vendors had lit braziers to ward off the cold, and found himself gravitating towards one. It was still frosty here, despite the fact that it was late spring.

He hated this town, he realized, in spite of the friendly, immediate smile of the vendor who readily accommodated his wish to warm his hands, and the cheerful face of the woman who refilled his bamboo cup. But the townsfolk weren't the source of his loathing. He'd experienced nothing but failure here. Apart from the two visits here with Sakura, one nearly leading to her death, and the other to enslavement, Kawahana had also served as the homebase during his reconnaissance efforts surrounding the Santaku clan. He hadn't completed that mission on time, and that failure had nearly cost Sakura her dignity, if not her life. Yet once again he was back here, like a night insect to a wing-singeing flame.

He needn't stay long, however. All he needed was some clothing and other items to replace those lost in the fire, and a gift of sake for the two monks who had rescued them.

Kakashi quickly found the articles he needed, purchased a large jug of sake from yet another affable vendor, then headed out of town via its main street. The street was empty, except for a single storeowner sweeping outside of his shop. Kakashi belatedly recognized the man. Apparently, sex-related business was slow in the early morning hours. The man smiled in delight as he saw the copy ninja approach.

"Ah! Shinobi! You've got to see this!" he cried over his shoulder as he hurried into the store.

Kakashi followed him inside, and gaped in disbelief as he saw the life-sized cardboard cutouts and brightly colored banners dominating the store.

"Aren't they incredible?" the shopkeeper asked as he pressed a flyer into the copy ninja's hand. "I got them early, because of my brother. But the book will be coming out at the end of next week. They're starting a media blitz in the next couple of days."

"Shit," was Kakashi's only response, as he turned with wide eyes and exited the store.

_Shit, shit, shit._

He leaned against the building, resisting the urge to strike his head firmly against the wall's stuccoed surface. Why hadn't he, like Asuma, acquired a smoking habit years before? He desperately needed something to calm himself down. He breathed deeply, then reentered the shop and approached its owner, who looked at him with concern.

"Is everything okay? You seemed a little shocked just now."

Apparently the shopkeeper hadn't noticed the uncanny resemblance between the man standing in front of him and the bare-chested man in the cutout. Of course, his attention had probably been on the exquisite pink-haired woman draped over said man.

"Oh. I'm just excited. And I had a bet with my best friend that it would be another two months before _Icha, Icha Teisatsu _came out. I'm out a chunk of change." Kakashi smiled his most winning smile, which translated as a pronounced eye crinkle. He noted its immediate effect—the shopkeeper visibly relaxed.

"You're lucky, aren't you, to have a brother who works for the publisher?"

"Oh, yes. Although I don't see him that often."

"Why's that?" Kakashi fervently wished he were better at small talk. This would be no problem for Sakura, were she here. Of course, being confronted by a life-size image of herself wearing practically nothing might slow her down a bit. Kakashi glanced again at the cardboard cutout and sighed. Jiraiya certainly was a gifted artist—he had to hand it to him. The image of the woman before him could easily fuel a hundred thousand fantasies. Or launch a thousands ships.

"We're both so busy. And Momijikawa is pretty far away."

"Ah. Well, any new merchandise?"

"Icha, Icha- related? No, I'm sorry to say I've got nothing new. But I'll be getting the books a good week before anyone else, so stop by this Friday to pick one up, okay?"

"Sure thing," Kakashi replied as he exited the store with a lazy wave and a hidden smile. Getting that one critical piece of information had been easier than he'd anticipated. "I'll be the first to get my hands on it."

This called for an immediate change in plans. Kakashi loped out of sight, but quickened his pace as he left the village, veering off the well-trod dirt road into the woods. He climbed atop a flat-topped outcropping of rock, then removed his pack and summoned Pakkun again.

"Two messages this time. One for Tsunade, and one for Uchiha Ino." Kakashi looked up from the scroll he was writing upon to see the ninken's look of irritation.

"Summoning me twice in one day? You do realize I have a family. And obligations. Uh oh, you have that…expression again. What's wrong? How did you screw up this time?"

"It's not me. It's Jiraiya."

"Your idol?"

"Hardly. Well, not anymore." Kakashi laid a crumpled sheet of brightly printed paper in front of the small canine.

"What's the problem? This is your bitch, isn't it?"

"My _bitch_? Oh, right. Yes, that's Sakura. She'll be mortified when she sees it."

"It's just flesh, you know. I really don't see what the big deal is. Now everyone will know that you've claimed her."

Kakashi shook his head, then leaned over to scratch the dog just above his collar. The pug responded with an involuntary kick of his hind leg and a soft growl of satisfaction. The man certainly did know how to please him.

"Trust me. It's a big deal."

Messages secured, the dog ran off at a much faster trot than one might expect from such a short-legged animal. Kakashi slashed his index finger with a kunai, then knelt on the smooth, flat rock to diagram the complex mandala of characters and symbols that would allow him to move nearly instantaneously to the small city the shop keeper had mentioned. He hadn't planned on reconnaissance today, and, though burdensome chakra-wise, this extreme method of travel was the only way to fit such a time-consuming activity into his schedule. He was not about to let this turn of events, or any other unforeseen happening deter him from the goal he'd set for today. He stood, moved his hands quickly through a succession of seals, and disappeared in a swirl of young leaves.

…o…o…o…o…

Sakura awoke to bright sunlight and the tattered remnants of a most wonderful, yet elusive dream. She wriggled deeper into the thin quilt which covered her, as she tried in vain to grasp the warm, languorous feeling that lapped at the edges of her mind. She giggled as she became more aware. What was the point of dreaming about making love to Kakashi when he was lying right beside her? She reached her hand out and was startled to realize that Kakashi was not, as she'd expected, lying next to her. Neither was he on his own futon. His bed, in fact, was cool to the touch, indicating that he'd been gone for some time. Sakura sat up groggily and stretched, first noticing his black robe folded into a neat bundle, then the small note the copy ninja had set next to the thin mattress that served as her bed. "Several errands to run," it read in his abysmally sloppy writing.

"Idiot," she growled, tempering her language as she remembered she was in a monastery. Kakashi was barely recovered—why on earth would he be out "running errands?" She glanced back at the note.

"If you're bored…" it read. A long arrow pointed to the puzzle box he'd set next to the note.

Sakura picked up the small, elegant box and tossed it gently from hand to hand. The fact that he'd suggested solving the puzzle probably meant he'd be gone for hours. She decided a good part of her morning would be devoted to finding just the right words with which to berate him. But that wouldn't take all morning, and it really was about time that she opened the puzzle box. She had never before taken so long to solve one. She quickly made her way through an abbreviated morning routine, gulped down the rice and miso soup laid on a tray outside her room, moved down a deserted hallway and into the bright outdoors. The grounds were empty, again. From the position of the sun, she estimated it was about 9 a.m. The monks were probably in the zendo, then. They seemed to spend a good portion of each day there. Sakura headed to the well-tended garden where she and Kakashi had sat the day before, and chose a bench that had already been warmed by the morning sunlight.

She looked critically at the box before her. Knowing Kakashi, there was probably more to its key than one might initially expect. He was, after all, a master of "beneath the beneath", and hidden meanings. He'd probably chatted up the salesperson, turning on the charm he could muster when warranted, intent on finding the most fiendishly clever box available. The box he'd selected probably had some meaning to its solution. She guessed he'd even gone so far as to surreptitiously use his Sharingan as the salesperson opened each box for him, so that he could choose the most appropriate one. Sakura slowly turned the precisely inlaid box in her hands, looking at each face in turn. Some boxes, she knew, were solved in steps—a number of keys would be slid on a single face before moving on to the next face. Others had a more random arrangement to their solution—keys and panels on different sides might be slid in any order, or repeatedly. She thought briefly about the kannuki she had already moved into place on this box. All of them had been on its uppermost face. She smiled. This would be easier than she'd surmised. So far she'd slid 15 keys, for a total of 18 moves. Was there any significance to that number of keys? The fifteenth of March was her birthday, but to be technically correct, she'd actually made 18 moves. What other numbers were an integral part of her history? The name of her genin team, of course, gave the number seven tremendous significance. Four man squads? The numbers representing Kakashi's birthday-- 9 and 15? Kakashi had hinted there were many steps to this puzzle—surely there would be more than the 53 keys these numbers added up to. What other numbers held significance? Their ages--24 and 38? Their age difference—14 years? Sakura studied the puzzle box as she ran her fingers along its surface, feeling for any looseness in its inlay. She could be completely off base, of course, about the significance of the puzzle, but knowing Kakashi, there would be layers of meaning to this gift.

She focused on the puzzle, not noticing, at first, the work crew that came out into the garden to rake its gravel surface, and to prune its plantings. They were quiet, though not silent. She caught a few murmurs and surreptitious gestures that seemed to be pointing in her general direction. News did travel, it seemed, even among monks who spent most of their day in silent contemplation. She wondered what they were communicating about—was it the clothes she'd worn the night she'd arrived, or the loud noises they'd undoubtedly heard the night before? Either way, it was embarrassing. Sakura did her best to control the heat rising to her cheeks, but she was spectacularly unsuccessful. After a while, though, the crew had no reason to linger, as the garden was quickly restored to its usual, pristine condition. One by one, they wandered off, to the kitchen, no doubt. A tantalizingly savory smell permeated the air.

It took Sakura a total of three hours before the puzzle box sprung open with a satisfying, resonant click. She'd been right—the numbers used in its solution were significant—seven, twenty four, fourteen, fifteen, nine and three. Seventy two keys in all—a tremendous number for such a small box. The level of craftsmanship needed to make such an object was almost unimaginable. Kakashi had probably spent a small fortune on the himitsu bako. Sakura laughed at the many recollections she had of the copy ninja's heretofore penurious nature. He certainly wasn't a penny-pincher when it came to her. She lifted the now unsecured lid and wrinkled her brow. It wasn't empty, as she had expected. Its small cavity contained a piece of paper, tightly folded to fit the miniscule space. She tugged at the small bundle, and gasped as she uncovered two matching rings, one smaller than the other, but both containing luminescent, intensely colored beryls of a green that perfectly matched her eyes. She slipped the smaller ring on her finger, and held her hand aloft to catch the noontime light.

She'd never seen an emerald so intensely green. Years before her parents had given her a small, faceted pendant stone, but like most emeralds, it was cloudy and riddled with multiple inclusions. These stones were flawless, and breathtaking in their perfection. Though they were polished as cabochons in plain, smooth settings (a practical idea given the nature of work done by their presumed owners), the underside of each stone was faceted to catch and reflect incident light. They glowed as though each possessed a small yet intense inner fire. Sakura was mesmerized for a while by this almost living light, until she remembered the small paper she'd pulled from the box. She unfolded the tiny missive, smoothing its many creases as she did so. It was a haiku she knew well, and it was surprisingly legible, despite the fact that it had been recorded in the copy ninja's own hand.

_Could I die under  
a cherry blossom tree in full bloom  
on a full-moon night of spring_

They were Saigyo's words, one of the many poems he'd written about hanami, and the ephemeral nature of beauty and life. These words were also her favorite, suggesting the bittersweet idea of dying in grace and perfection, after a life of challenges successfully met. But now these words meant so much more to her. Her vision blurred as she reread the short poem.

He wanted to die by her side.

A shinobi's life was so closely intertwined with death. Death was one's constant companion, as intimate as a lover. It was the shadow that cast into relief the smallest details of one's daily activities. Life was short, too often painfully, brutishly short. One needed to grab happiness whereever it could be found. That Kakashi saw her as his source of happiness, that he wanted to die by her side, with their love in full bloom-- the thought was overwhelming.

"Marry me."

Sakura looked up from her reverie to see Kakashi kneeling before her. He grasped her hand and kissed it, mask lowered from his face, an expression of anticipation mixed with apprehension evident in the set of his finely carved features.

"How long have you been here?"

"Long enough."

She sighed as she considered the things Kakashi had endured in recent days, and the trials she'd put him through. "You're a very patient man, aren't you?"

The copy ninja laughed. "It would have spoiled the surprise if I begged you to open the box. I bought those stones eight years ago. A few more days of waiting didn't seem to make a difference."

"Eight years ago." That he'd been in love with her all of this time was still hard to believe.

"I'd taken a year-long mission to get away from Konoha. And you. It was to Iwagakure. When I saw these stones, I saw your eyes, and a part of me knew it was useless to run away. I've kept them on me ever since."

"Yes."

"Yes?"

"I'd be crazy not to marry you." She leaned into him, pressing her lips against his, her voice a soft murmur.

"Now." His response was uncharacteristically urgent.

"Nani?" Sakura pulled back in surprise. "But you just said a few days of waiting didn't make a difference."

"I was wrong. I don't want to wait any longer. If I'd been less of a coward you would have been my wife for the past three years, at least. Hell, I wish I'd married you the day you turned eightteen."

"But… how can we get married here? We're citizens of Konoha, not greater Fire."

"My father was born near here, and married at this very place. That makes it perfectly legal for us to wed outside of the village. And even if the village didn't recognize it, I'd still want to do this. It's the blessing that matters, after all."

"But they already think we're married." She gestured toward the zendo, an embarassed blush upon her cheeks.

"I talked to Harada-roshi this morning. He'd already guessed." Kakashi stood, still grasping Sakura's hand, and pulled her to her feet.

"I…"

"Did you picture a big wedding?" Kakashi chuckled at her reluctance, as well as at the thought of a teenage Sakura lying on her bed, stack of bridal magazines at hand, planning her nuptials.

"No, no, that was Ino." Her own fantasy had been nowhere near as detailed or lavish as that of her sometime rival. She had only wanted to marry for love. "But our friends—"

"Don't worry. We can have a reception, as big as you like, once we go back to the village. We can even have Tsunade marry us again, if you like." He smiled. "She'll probably insist on it."

"Why?" He immediately grasped the meaning behind the simple question.

"Either of us could die tomorrow. Or this afternoon. If that were to happen, to know that you had been my wife, if only for a few hours…"

Sakura giggled. "I never knew you were such a romantic."

"I'd call it possessiveness." The copy ninja shrugged laconically, though Sakura easily saw through this show of nonchalance.

Her giggle turned into a snort of derision. "You can call it whatever you like. Romeo."

He grabbed her arm, wheeling her around to face him. His tone was serious, though his words were quiet. "Do this for me, and I'll do whatever you want in return."

The kunoichi's eyes glinted momentarily. "Anything? You may be sorry you made that offer."

Kakashi sighed as he picked up one of two bags he'd placed near the bench, and tossed it to her. "Get dressed. I'm certain you don't want to be married in monk's robes. Am I right?"

Sakura smiled as she quickly changed into the clothes Kakashi had provided. She'd kicked him out of their shared room while she dressed. There were some wedding traditions she was willing to forgo, particularly as it had seemed extremely important to him that they wed this day. However, there was no way she'd let him watch her dress in her wedding finery, such as it was. She looked at herself critically in the pale reflection of the window pane. At least her kimono was white. Well, cream, to be more precise, with tracings of pink and green. White would not have looked good against her pale skin. Kakashi was amazingly perceptive about these things, she realized. Her garment was no uchikake, just a simple silk kimono appropriate for spring or summer wear, set off by a soft green obi. In all, it was understated and elegant, and she appreciated the gesture. She doubted there were any stores nearby that sold goods of such high quality—the monastery appeared to be quite isolated. Kakashi must have made the long trek to Kawahana and back. He'd probably left hours before daybreak to accomplish such a feat.

He really was a romantic, she thought to herself. Not to mention an idiot.

She wondered what her friends would say once they'd learned she'd married. The fact that she'd wed Kakashi would undoubtedly cause some tongues to wag, and the fact that they'd eloped would likely set off a small firestorm of gossip, led by Ino of course. It would be hard for the blonde kunoichi to understand this decision. Sakura had sat through far too many conversations on the importance of the perfect wedding not to anticipate her friend's likely reaction. Ino had been radiant at her own wedding, her white uchikake embroidered with a pale gold that set off her hair perfectly, and her second kimono an intense royal blue that complemented her turquoise eyes. Both garments had cost a small fortune, Sakura knew, equivalent to six months of her own salary as a medic. Ino had insisted on dragging her to the several boutiques that sold wedding kimono, after insisting to Sasuke that it was absolutely imperative that she wear a new one. The heirloom garments he'd shown her were out of date, she'd said, despite their rarefied beauty and obvious expense.

Sakura quickly brushed her hair into a style she hoped was flattering (it was difficult to manage without a mirror) and slid back the door to her room just as the monk Takuan approached. He'd scrubbed off the pickle-stink, she realized, and had changed into robes less patched than those he'd worn the night they'd first met. She smiled at the novice, glad that he'd agreed to serve as a witness to their wedding.

Kakashi was already present, back to her, as Sakura and her escort entered the hondo. The copy ninja looked more handsome than ever in a haori and matching kimono of pewter-colored raw silk, tied with a heko obi patterned with a subtle shibori design. The tiny white rings formed a pattern of chidori, Sakura noticed as she drew close. She smiled. He certainly was a man for details. How could he have possibly found such an item in the short time he was gone? She giggled as she thought of the copy ninja in a marketplace, scanning the stalls with a half-covered Sharingan. Kakashi turned at the sound of her laughter, and she beamed in delight as she saw the face of the man before her. His mask was nowhere to be seen, nor was his hitae-ate. The man, not just the ninja, stood before her. Sakura realized she was on the verge of tears.

She was frightened, she realized, yet she also felt a strange, pervading calmness. It felt right to stand by his side, with their hands joined, their eyes locked in wordless communication.

The wedding itself took all of fifteen minutes. It seemed that zen buddhist ceremonies were nowhere near as involved as the weddings Sakura had attended in Konoha—Ino's had lasted a full hour and a half, replete with three wardrobe changes (not counting those worn during the reception), chanting in a tongue foreign to most attendees, and the cloying, overpowering scents of incense and perfume.

Sakura and Kakashi lit incense themselves, but only two small sticks of a subtle sandalwood. The priest bound their right hands together with a beaded o-juzu, then asked them to drink from three cups of sake. After the three monastics chanted a sutra, the couple signed a register in the presence of their rescuers, Takuan and Daigu. With that, they were considered to be formally wed. They celebrated the moment with a long kiss, then turned to thank their hosts.

"Surely you will stay for lunch?" said the elderly roshi. "Takuan has been very busy this morning."

"Monastery cooking can be quite good. You've only experienced our day to day cooking. When we celebrate it can be quite special." Daigu spoke as Takuan cringed with embarassment, and with the added burden of raised expectations.

Both Kakashi and Sakura bowed in thanks, and followed the three monks into a large dining hall, where the other men of the order were already seated in two rows before the long, low benches that served as tables. An elegant shoujin ryouri meal was served by several monks the pair had not seen before, and the room was surprisingly noisy with laughter and rowdy conversation. Their lively sounds rang through the room in stark contrast to the silence that had blanketed the monastery before then. It was clear that this wedding day served as an impromptu holiday for the monastery, and the usually quiet monks were more than happy to share in the celebration. Behind the back of a frowning man who had the air of an administrator, Sakura saw a ceramic jug of sake circulating. She giggled as she pointed it out to her new husband.

"Apparently Daigu is a generous man," was his terse response. He'd then picked up a cube of goma-dofu and fed it to his newlywed wife. "Silky, isn't it?" he purred in her ear as the sesame paste melted in her mouth. "Reminds me of something." She blushed, and several nearby monks laughed and gestured (inappropriately, Sakura thought) as they inferred the content of the copy ninja's whispered comment.

Sakura hadn't thought it possible to stuff oneself on vegan fare, particularly after the monotonous meals she had eaten previously at the monastery, but Takuan's skills as a chef surprised her. Edamame, undoubtedly the first of the season, and likely grown under a coldframe, was served as the next course, followed by lily bulbs and fragile spring mushrooms mixed with rice. A surprisingly savory aemono of berries and tofu followed, as well as lotus tempura. The meal ended with miso soup and plain rice, and a plate of tiny, yet intensely flavored wild strawberries. Sakura took the opportunity to feed several of these to Kakashi, and laughed at his reaction to her whispers describing exactly what she was planning to do to him that evening. She'd never seen his hooded eyes opened so wide before.

"Let's get out of here." His voice sounded oddly strangled.

…o…o…o…o…

"So where are we going? It's getting windy, isn't it?"

They'd been walking for an hour, not in the shinobi style, but hand in hand as the path permitted it, and at a leisurely pace. In some places, however, they were forced to travel single file, as the trail became little more than a suggestion, often overgrown with brambles and densely shaded by the large-trunked evergreens that became more prevalent as their journey continued.

A grunt was the copy ninja's only response to Sakura's questions.

"Not back to Kawahana, I hope. We really haven't had much luck there, have we?"

Kakashi turned to Sakura and smiled. "Considering that I nearly lost you there twice, I'd have to agree. Better not to push our luck. Besides, we're headed in the opposite direction."

"So?"

"So, what?" Kakashi's eye crinkled as Sakura let out of huff of indignation. "You really don't like surprises, do you?"

"You're a total control freak. You know that, right?"

"Hmm. You know, it's control freaks that don't like surprises."

"Right. I'm the control freak, Mr. Anal-Retentive-I-Take-Matters-Into-My-Own-Hands-Without-Even-Consulting-Those-I-Care-About."

"What?"

"You know what I'm talking about. You shouldn't have gone wandering off this morning without telling me. I'm your medic after all. Where did you go, anyway? How far did you travel?"

"How is any of what you just said an example of anal-retentiveness?" His voice was annoyingly cool and steady.

"It's not. I just threw that one in. Because it's true."

"You should talk. Who has a summer _and_ a winter bedroll?" He rolled his eyes, both visible and covered.

"Who comes close to having a stroke if anyone so much as touches one of his beloved books?"

Kakashi laughed. "Is this our first fight? Does that mean we get to have make-up sex later? I can't wait."

"Keep it up and see if you get any sex at all, smartass."

"We both know you can't resist me." He easily dodged the punch that came his way. "We're here, by the way."

The Sharingan-user pushed aside low-hanging evergreen branches to allow Sakura easier passage along the almost non-existent trail. She moved past him and sighed as she took in the vista. They were close to the edge of a steep cliff, and far below them was a narrow strand. The sea churned and roiled at its edge, as its white-capped waters swirled around and over the jagged outcroppings of volcanic rock which littered the perimeter of the vast expanse of icy green.

Kakashi took Sakura's arm and pulled her back from the very edge, where she stood stock still as she leaned into the wind. "There are stairs cut into the cliff not too far from here. The tide is going out. I think you'll like the tidepools."

"You've been here before." She turned to him with a small smile, touched that he'd shown her yet another part of himself.

"I spent summers here until I was six. Our family farm is down that way." He pointed south, then began walking slowly in the same direction.

"Is? You still have family? I thought everyone was gone."

"Second and third cousins, once- and twice-removed. No one I'm close to. They pretty much ignored me after my parents died, and things have stayed that way. They're happy to run the farm, though."

They picked their way down the steep stairs cut into the basalt face of the cliff, hand in hand, mindful of the wind that picked up every now and then.

"You might want to use chakra—" The remainder of his sentence was carried off in a gust, but Sakura had heard enough to lean forward, yank the hair that whipped around him, and reply, "Duh."

At the bottom of the cliff she turned to Kakashi with a frown, hands placed defiantly on hips. "You're not going to treat me like a child, are you? Like a brand new genin?"

He pulled her to him, kissing her lightly before ruffling her hair in the gesture he knew she greatly disliked. "So quick to jump to conclusions. I fell down them myself when I was four. Broke my leg. And I _was_ using chakra at the time."

"Oh."

"Looking out for you isn't the same as being overprotective, you know."

She linked her arm in his. "I do know that. That must have been some summer."

"Hmm?"

"When you were four."

"The up side was that I had my parents' undivided attention. The down side was that there was no medic to treat me, only the village healer. Look." He gestured to a jagged, pitted rock close by. "Tide pool."

"Oh!" Sakura ran ahead, laughing in her enthusiasm. "What are all these animals?"

"Seastar, obviously." He said as he joined her, pointing to a many-legged wheel of vivid yellow fixed tightly to the rock. Shore crab. Sea anemone." Kakashi reached into his backpack and withdrew a net bag, then reached his gloved hand into the small, cold pool of water. He gingerly removed an intensely purple sea urchin and held it up for Sakura's inspection. "Dinner. Uni-- an appropriate food for our wedding night. It's an aphrodisiac." He placed it and several others into the bag, then withdrew a kunai and pried a large shell from a lower face of a partially submerged rock. "And abalone." He pointed to a rock with his kunai before handing it to Sakura. "Why don't you cut some nori? Take the dried stuff if you can find any. And if you head closer to the water you should find some wakame."

"This beats foraging in the forest for roots and insects, I guess." She removed her shoes and socks, then hiked her kimono to her thighs before wading into the diminishing surf. "It's freezing, Kakashi! And this stuff is slimy!"

"It's good to know where your food comes from. Besides, I'm about out of money." He continued harvesting for a while before looking up to see his wife huddled against the lee side of one the drier rocks. "You look cold, Sakura. Let's head out." Kakashi looked at the sky. "We'd better get moving. A storm is moving in."

In a few minutes they arrived at a small, weathered, thatched-roof house, set atop another rocky bluff. An older, dark-haired woman stood at the entrance, two, packed bags at her side. Kakashi lifted his arm in his trademark lazy wave as he approached, and the woman smiled brightly.

"Kishiko-san. Good to see you. This is my wife, Sakura."

Sakura blushed. How strange to be referred to in that way. But nice—definitely nice.

"Sakura, this is my mother's oldest friend, Sakahama Kishiko." The two bowed as they greeted each other.

"Why are your bags packed? Kakashi, we're not kicking her out of her house, are we?"

The older woman's eyes widened in embarrassment. "No, no, Hatake-san, you misunderstand. This is _your_ house. Kakashi-san has been good enough to set me stay here these past years, since my husband died. I'll just be staying with my son for a few days, that's all, and visiting my grandchildren. It's the very least I can do to promote your happiness."

"I asked her to stay, but she's a bit stubborn, like someone else I know."

"The rain will be coming soon. I'd better be off." The Kishiko bowed again, then picked up her bags and quickly walked toward a cluster of houses in the distance.

Sakura stared after her in puzzlement. Where was the family Kakashi had spoken of? "She seems nice," the kunoichi said distractedly as she headed toward the door of the small residence, only to be grabbed around the waist.

"Where do you think you're going?" The copy ninja growled? Sakura turned to see a glint in his eye. "We are going to do this right."

"Do what right?"

Kakashi opened the door with his free hand, then scooped her up, and captured her lips with a gentle, yet tenacious kiss. "This," he said, as he carried her over the threshold.

"It's not much," he said as he set Sakura down onto a wide-planked floor. "Kishiko hasn't allowed me to do more than maintain the place. She sent away workers twice, when I tried to have the place electrified. She did finally let me install modern plumbing, however." He set the backpack down in what appeared to be the combined living and dining area of the space. The room was spotless, though its furnishings were worn. Sakura noticed three doorways, one presumably to the bathroom Kakashi had alluded to, the others probably to a kitchen and bedroom. A plaster-lined firepit was in the center of the space, and Sakura noticed a fire had been lit. She moved to warm herself, lifting a wooden lid off a hanging pot to inspect its contents.

"Miso soup. Kishiko is thoughtful."

"Very."

"How did her husband die?"

"It was a long time ago. He was a fisherman—that's what most of the men around here do, if even if they farm. Rice farming is not the most profitable business, particularly when you're by the sea. And fishing is dangerous in waters this rocky. He drowned. He was my second cousin, once removed, but the family didn't care for Kishiko—she'd been married once before. She had no place to go, so…"

"Nice family."

Kakashi grabbed two zabuton and placed them near the iriori, then settled himself on one, gesturing for Sakura to join him on the other. "Judgmental," He said as he warmed his hands. "They didn't want anything to do with my dad, either, once he decided to train as a ninja."

Sakura looked curiously at the strangely forthcoming shinobi.

"He was the younger son. His brother was supposed to inherit the farm and this place, and my father went to train at the monastery. Harada-roshi helped him figure out he would be better suited as a ninja, so he went to Konoha. Then his brother died, and the family expected my father to come back and take on the farm. He obviously couldn't do that, so he asked his cousin to run it in his absence. Kishiko was his wife." Kakashi smiled. "Enough about them. Hungry?" Kakashi left the room, returning with a ladle, spoons and two bowls. "Let's have some soup. Then I'll show you how to make abalone sashimi and uni."

…o…o…o…o…

It was still raining, though not as heavily as it had for the past two days. Soon after dinner their first night at the minka, the skies had opened and the modest farmhouse had been filled with the pounding sound of rain as well as the crashing sound of the surf against the cliff. The couple had been warm, however, as they'd decided to bed down not in the small, bone-chillingly damp bedroom at the back of the house, but close by the hearth.

Kakashi was certain he'd never seen anything as lovely as the sight of his new wife illuminated by the flickering light of the fire. Maybe it was the effects of the uni, but the sight of Sakura atop him, her skin golden, then tawny, then cast into shadow by the ever changing lights and shadows of the fire, had filled him with a lust that had seemed unquenchable. But her passion had matched his own. He'd think she'd sated herself each time she cried out in ecstasy. But she'd kept going, impaling herself on him again and again, grinding herself against him as she reached peak after peak, until he found himself on the verge of madness. He'd taken matters into his own hands then, deftly flipping her into a prone position, and plunging into her liquid core until they both screamed with a final release.

That hadn't ended things, of course. Even after a day of travel, plus long distance teleportation and (ugh!) shopping on his part, and in spite of the fact that the pair was recovering from both injuries and exhaustion, neither Kakashi nor Sakura had been tired that evening. Or rather, Kakashi thought, their hunger for each other had dwarfed all other physical sensations.

He had felt neither thirst, nor hunger, nor fatigue, only the all-consuming urge to be one with Sakura. He never imagined marriage would agree with him as much as it did. It seemingly unlocked something within him—something he never wanted to be without again.

Two days had gone by, two days spent naked in each other's arms. He couldn't imagine a better way to spend the first moments of his union with Sakura, but at the same time, Kakashi was filled with anxiety, a new emotion for him. They needed to get to Momijikawa, to the publisher and printer of the newest _Icha, Icha_ volume. Kakashi's efforts at reconnaissance had confirmed that printing was indeed underway—all presses were devoted to Jiraiya's latest work, and pallets were already loaded with boxes of the books. He'd found stacks and stacks of the cutouts and banners seen in Kawahana, and rolls of printed paper ready to be pasted to billboards. It seemed likely that they would be shipping soon, perhaps earlier than the shopkeeper had indicated.

The storm had kept them from moving, however, and Kakashi didn't have the heart to tell Sakura of his discovery. His eyes lingered on his sleeping bride, tangled in the bedding. She was going to be very upset once she heard the news.


	45. Tradition – Fourteenth Date Conclusion

_Disclaimer: Naruto and associated characters are property of Masashi Kishimoto. They are not my property!_

**Fourteen Dates **

_Author's note: Well, this is it. Thanks to everyone who has read this story and thank you also to those who have taken the time to review! Your words of encouragement and advice mean the world to me._

**Chapter 45: Tradition – Fourteenth Date (Conclusion)**

A high pitched shriek rent the air as Kakashi and Sakura stepped through the opened gate and into the busy village of Konoha. A platinum blonde and navy blue blur lunged forward and grasped Sakura in a vigorous embrace, which left her gasping for air. As they disengaged, Sakura wondered fleetingly how the infant strapped to Ino's chest had not been suffocated in her mother's enthusiasm.

"Sakura! It's about time! I've been waiting since yesterday!" Ino tugged on her longtime rival's arm. "We have a lot to get done before tomorrow. Why are you wearing a kimono? Come on, let's get going."

Sakura turned to her new husband and raised her brow questioningly. To her surprise, Kakashi looked less confident than usual. "I probably should have mentioned this earlier," he said weakly. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow?" He glanced at Ino, seemingly for confirmation. Or perhaps, like so many others in the village, he was intimidated by the brash progenitor of the newly revived Uchiha clan-- it was hard to tell.

"Kakashi?! What the hell is going on?" After the events of the past twenty four hours, Sakura was in no mood to put up with her high maintenance friend. Marriage and motherhood had done their part to change Ino, but where these two major events might have tempered the personality of most women, they had barely melted the surface of the brassy kunoichi's. Sakura would need a full night's rest and at least an hour of meditation before she'd be ready to tolerate more than five minutes with the woman. Even though she was a long time friend, best friend at that, Sakura had found through experience that hurricane Ino was best taken in very small doses. Sakura glanced at Kakashi and a smile crept across her face. At least Ino wouldn't be able to rub Sasuke in her face anymore.

"Your wedding, forehead. Why didn't you tell me you had a thing for the Cyclops?"

"He's not a Cyclops, pig. His vision's binocular and it's better than yours."

Ino rolled her eyes at this evidence of her friend's overly literal nature. "Whatever. I'm just glad you're not going to be an old maid for much longer. Hmm. I wonder who won the pool?"

"Much longer? Pool? For your information—"

"Sakura may be a maid, but she's certainly not old. Not compared to me, anyway." Kakashi's eye crinkled in its trademark fashion as he smiled at Ino. "I consider myself very lucky to be her husband-to-be."

"To be?" Sakura turned to the Sharingan user in confusion.

"Only twenty four hours until you're mine. Hope I can wait that long." He gave Sakura a quick peck on the lips, winked (or blinked—again, it was hard to tell), then loped off in the general direction of his apartment, barely breaking his stride as he pulled a volume from his kunai pouch.

"Kakashi? Wait!"

But he was gone.

"We really need to get going, Sakura. There are about a million things to do." Ino steered her still-confused friend in the direction of the commercial district, talking a mile a minute as the two maneuvered through the crowded streets. "I narrowed your kimono down to two choices. I assumed red, as it's your favorite color. And there's tradition to consider, after all. I think the purple and blue ones are a little… vulgar, you know? And definitely not gold. Kakashi may be wealthy, but that would be in bad taste."

_Wealthy?  
_

"And the first uchikake you wear—the one for the actual ceremony-- it will be white, of course. I set aside the three nicest ones. There's one embroidered with phoenixes that is absolutely stunning. And I already hired a dresser. She also does makeup and hair, so I'm sure she'll be able to do something with that mop of yours. Did you cut it yourself again?"

Sakura had no time to answer, as a torrent of words continued to flow from Ino's smirking mouth.

"The menu's set, but I'll let you look it over. It was hard to find a place big enough—who knew Kakashi had so many friends? An old hentai like him-- oh, sorry. We'll be having the ceremony and reception in the tournament hall. We can stop by later to check it out—they should be setting up the tables around three o'clock or so. Oh! We're here."

Ino pushed open a door hung with silver bells (wedding bells, Sakura thought nauseatedly) and was immediately met by a woman who was obviously the store's owner. She fawned quite a bit more than the average shop girl, and it was easy to detect the glint of avarice in her eyes.

"Irasshaimase! Is this the bride?"

"Yes. This is Haruno Sakura, soon to be Hatake Sakura."

"What a lucky young lady you are, Miss Haruno. Let me show you what your friend has picked out for you. It's too bad there isn't time to design a custom garment for you—I have some beautiful silks that would set off your hair perfectly. Ah! Here we are. Look at these shiromuku." The woman carried three heavy, elaborately wrapped bundles to a table and carefully opened the first. A padded white kimono spilled out as she did so, its heavy fabric rippling in the light. Flying cranes and pine boughs were scattered randomly across the fabric, some of them detailed with silver thread that sparkled as Sakura ran her hand across the cloth.

"You have very good taste. That is one of our more expensive garments."

"Oh!" Sakura looked at Ino with concern. Her friend smiled gleefully.

"Tsunade gave me a letter of credit on Kakashi's behalf. Apparently he told her the sky was the limit."

"Really?" What had happened to the miser who almost never paid for the meals he ate, the man who shirked every opportunity to pay his share, no matter the situation?

"You really had no idea? He had to be doing something with the bounties he's picked up over the years. Do you have any idea how many class S missions he's done?"

"No. But how would you know?"

Ino snorted. The answer to that question should have been obvious. The Yamanakas were justly famous for their prowess in what they referred to as information gathering and dissemination. They were on an entirely different level than the average village gossip.

"Twenty five. And at least fifty class A. Apparently Gai has been keeping track all of these years. Did you know he has almost no tolerance for alcohol?"

Sakura rolled her eyes at the thought of Ino plying Konoha's green menace with the small amount of alcohol needed to break through his already paper-thin boundaries, then turned her attention back to the garments before her. The saleswoman had laid out the other two kimono, and Sakura compared the three garments. All were made of heavy jacquard, and all were exquisite. Ino's taste had evolved, it seemed. These were completely dissimilar from the elaborate and showily expensive garments she had chosen for her own wedding. The second garment Sakura examined was the one Ino had mentioned. A large phoenix occupied the bulk of each front panel, and the birds' feathers had been expertly outlined in an iridescent thread that shimmered gold, then silver, then red. The final garment was less showy. It was pure white on white, with no over-embroidery. Most of the garment was patterned with the stylized waves seen in ukiyo-e woodcuts. A scattering of plovers flew over certain waves. Sakura smiled.

"Chidori. Perfect." She looked up at the saleswoman, who seemed less pleased than she had been just moments earlier. "I'll take this one."

"Very well. You'll also need a kakeshita kimono and obi, in white of course. And a fan and hood. And hair ornaments--"

"Why don't you choose the ones that will go best with the shiromuku? I'm sure you'll make a better decision than I could."

The woman smiled, mollified by Sakura's suggestion. "Wonderful. Shall we look at uchikake?"

"Ino, you picked out several, didn't you?"

"Show her the one we talked about first."

It was a beautiful color, Sakura noted as the saleswoman hung the garment from a bamboo frame. The heavy crimson silk fabric was highlighted by touches of dense gold embroidery. Like the shiromuku, this kimono was thickly padded and weighted along its hem. It, too, was meant to be worn open over a simpler kakeshita kimono. It was embroidered all over with stylized images of noshi-awabe, bundles of dried abalone signifying abundance and prosperity.

"A beautiful kimono, don't you think? It's traditional, and elegant. Perfect, I think, for someone like you."

Sakura ignored the saleswoman's ingratiating words as she examined the garment. Its sleeves, which were held out to the side by the frame supporting the robe, nearly touched the ground, indicating the formality of the garment. She'd never worn anything so elegant, she realized, and then imagined tripping over its long train before a room crowded with friends and colleagues. She gasped, then blanched as she noticed the price tag.

"Ino? Could I talk to you for a minute?" She pulled her friend aside. "Don't you think this is a little much?"

Ino sniffed. "Sakura, this is nothing. Surely you haven't forgotten _my_ wedding?"

"No. I haven't forgotten." No one in Konoha would forget that day—its display of excess had been unrivaled before or since. "Do you remember when we used to read bridal magazines and imagine our weddings?"

"Sure, forehead." Ino opened the large purse she used as diaper bag, and rummaged through it, then handed a folded, dog-eared piece of paper to her friend. "Do you remember this?" A genuine, open smile lit the Uchiha's face.

Sakura examined the yellowed, wrinkled page that had apparently been torn from a magazine. It was a quiz entitled, "What kind of bride are you?" In the margins next to the questions two columns had been drawn, one labeled with a sketch of a five-petaled blossom, and the other with a crudely drawn pig-face. Sakura giggled as she remembered the afternoon they'd taken this particular quiz, and how annoyed Ino had been when she'd seen her likeness. At the bottom of the page was scrawled, "Ino—showy, flamboyant; Sakura—quiet, down to earth."

"Did you _read_ this? Exactly whose wedding are you planning?"

"Yours, silly."

"But this isn't what I want. I've never wanted this type of wedding. Didn't you read this?" She waved the document in her friend's face.

Ino laughed uproariously, inadvertently waking up her daughter as she did so. She jiggled the now-fussy infant against her chest as she spoke, altering the timbre of her voice to the soothing tone used only with babies.

"You have a lot to learn about married life, Sakura. Consider this a crash course."

"You're telling me this is what Kakashi wants?"

"Well, duh."

"I am going to kill him."

"For wanting you to look like a princess? You're crazy, Sakura."

"Fine. I'm crazy. Let's just get this over with."

They returned to the table where the saleswoman stood patiently. "Nerves getting to you?" the woman asked with a sympathetic smile, and the slightly condescending air of a person of great experience. "They always, do you know, although in your situation…"

"My situation?"

"Tradition dictates that a bride buy her uchikake three months before the wedding. I'm not surprised you're a bit stressed leaving things to the end like this."

"It's not that. I was just telling my friend that I'd like things to be a little more simple. This all seems excessive." The saleswoman frowned, and Sakura quickly added, "She's done her best to convince me otherwise, although I really don't understand why I need more than one wedding outfit."

Ino stifled a snort as the saleswoman quickly responded in a voice that was slightly patronizing, "It's customary to wear at least three different kimono over the course of the wedding and reception."

"_Three_?" As she'd never attended another wedding of such a grand scale, she'd thought the several kimono Ino had worn at her own wedding were just a manifestation of her friend's true, flamboyant nature. "Why?"

"Surely you learned this in school or from your mother?" Seeing Sakura's blank stare she continued. "Originally, weddings used to take several days. The bride would wear a different kimono each day. Of course, it also showed to the community the family's wealth. That aspect of the tradition is still with us."

"And why do I have to wear white? It's not exactly a flattering color for me."

"Again, it's traditional. There's a reason for every item you wear at the wedding. As for the color of the shiromoku, some say that it is a reminder that the bride is like a clean, white sheet of paper, ready to be written on, so to speak. And as the color for funerals is also white, others say it symbolizes that the bride is dead to her family."

"Well, I'm not a blank sheet of paper. I have a history I'm proud of. And as for me being dead to my family—that's not true, either. I have no family left. And neither does Kakashi."

"In some countries, white is a symbol of virginity," Ino chimed in.

Sakura ignored her friend's comment. She wouldn't hear the end of it if Ino were to find out she were no longer a virgin. Not that the woman hadn't been urging her to get laid for the past several years. But she'd make a big deal out of it, and pepper Sakura with a host of inappropriate questions as she did so.

"Good thing Kakashi's not supposed to wear white."

"You're not helping, you know." Sakura creased her brow in frustration. "I just don't understand what he's thinking. I mean, everyone knows he's a cheapskate. So why go crazy with a wedding?"

"There's no need to tantrum, Sakura. It's one day out of your life. Honestly, anyone else would be thrilled. And besides, you can use this as precedent."

"Huh?"

"Haven't you thought about your day-to-day married life? How are you going to handle being married to a porn-reading tightwad? If he's spent this much on you already, he won't be able to tighten the purse strings later. Get it?"

Sakura sighed. "Let's see the second kimono."

The saleswoman quickly obliged, and Sakura's jaw dropped in awe. This one was perfect. It was of a deeper red than the previous garment, a color approaching cerise. Like the other kimono, it was made of thick silk, but it was not a jacquard like the previous ones. It was a simple satin, unadorned apart from the embroidery that began at the hem and bottom of each floor-length sleeve, and worked its way up the garment. Spare white sakura boughs were silhouetted against the garment, the outlines of their simple yet beautiful flowers captured in precise detail.

"That's the one I want. It's perfect." Sakura's face shone in pleasure as she looked at her friend, who was somewhat distracted by the fact that her young daughter wanted to nurse. Sakura turned instead to the saleswoman and spoke softly. "I'll let you pick out the obi and any accessories I need." She gathered her backpack and caught Ino's attention. "What else is left to do?"

"Oh, my. You're forgetting the third kimono." The saleswoman's look of terror was priceless, Sakura thought. She must have been already spent the presumed profits from this sale.

"No. This is enough for me. That second kimono is pretty enough to wear for the whole reception. Let's go, Ino." Sakura grinned. "You said we had a lot to do."

…o…o…o…o…

Kakashi assumed they'd find him eventually, though he didn't count on having the entire morning and most of the afternoon to himself. He'd hid, high up in one of the huge oaks that dotted the training grounds which were deserted today, possibly due to the threat of rain that lingered in the air. Such weather didn't bother him, though. The tree was fully leafed out and would provide adequate shelter from all but the most intense squalls. What's more, the green canopy made it all but impossible to view him from the ground. Of course, he'd blocked his chakra as an extra precaution.

And they did find him, or rather, Gai did, as afternoon was beginning to meld into an evening that still threatened rain. Kakashi was occupied, as he had been all day, with the white book he'd surreptitiously pocketed the prior afternoon. He'd been devastated when it dawned on him that his proof copy of Jiraiya's latest novel had been destroyed by fire. So, when they'd come across carton after carton in his publisher's warehouse, it was inevitable that Kakashi pick one up and slide it into his kunai pouch. He'd let Sakura know eventually, and he was sure, that in time, she'd come to appreciate its artwork, if not the plotline. Jiraiya really had surpassed himself, he thought as he turned the book sideways to get a better look at the incredibly precise details of a two page spread.

What a lucky man he was to have Sakura as his wife, he'd thought as Gai stealthily approached. Too bad he'd be apart from her tonight. Tradition dictated that the bride to be spend the night with her family. Although he had been sure Tsunade would want to give Sakura away, in his letter he'd suggested Ino as a suitable substitute for the other marriage-related duties. Tsunade apparently had agreed to this, and from her reaction this morning, Ino had been eager to play the part of bridesmaid/wedding planner. The blonde bombshell certainly was turning into a formidable young head of household. He'd been more eager to leave her presence than he'd expected.

The book would be a consolation, however, for Sakura's absence this evening. He planned to read it once more, cover to cover after a long, relaxing soak in the tub—

"My esteemed rival! Kakashi! Kakashi, I'm talking to you."

The man was in tears, actual tears, Kakashi noted as he looked up from his book and into the overly emotional face of the green spandex-clad man who had suddenly appeared next to him.

"Yo." Kakashi did his best to recapture a modicum of personal space as he shifted slightly toward the tree's trunk and lifted his novel back to his face.

"You've beaten me in the game of love, it seems."

As if Gai had any hope of marriage, unless Rock Lee had that experimental surgery he'd heard about recently. Or women developed a sudden liking for bowl haircuts and spandex costumes that left little to the imagination.

"I wasn't aware we were competing." Gai leaned into to him, thwarting the Sharingan user's attempt to put some space between him. "And such a blossom! My protégé was crushed, absolutely crushed at the news." He pulled the silver haired man toward him into a bone-cracking hug, and clapped him hard across the back. "She'll keep you in the flower of youth, that's for sure. Ah! Beauty and Youth! I—" Gai paused to wipe his eyes against his sleeve after searching unsuccessfully for a tissue. He sniffed resonantly and smiled once more.

"I'll see you tomorrow, then." Kakashi attempted to move past Konoha's acknowledged master of melodrama, but found his way blocked.

"As your true rival, and oldest, dearest friend, I was wondering…"

"Wondering?" He'd never seen Gai act embarrassed before.

"Could I take you to dinner?"

It was obvious that this was not his planned question—something else was on Gai's mind. They'd dined together countless times before, and were on too close terms for any embarrassment to be associated with doing so. Of course, each time they ate together Gai was stuck, willingly or otherwise, with the bill. Kakashi shrugged inwardly. Whatever Gai's unstated question, it was clear that more than dinner was involved this time, and equally obvious that Kakashi wouldn't be able to wriggle his way out of the invitation. Besides, compared to what Sakura would be enduring the next day, this was nothing. He might as well do his part.

He was correct, of course, about the invitation. Almost every Konoha ninja he'd interacted with over his career was crammed into the small bar and grill Gai led him to, and some were already in an advanced state of inebriation. He wondered idly when the party had begun, and smiled under his mask at his luck in avoiding at least part of it.

"Kakashi! You cradle drobber!" slurred a tanked Ebisu. This was a sight to see—he didn't know the tight-laced man ever drank.

"So he _is_ into women!" That was definitely Tenzo's voice, damn him. Some kohai.

"Three-dimensional women!" And that was Naruto's, if he wasn't mistaken.

"I'd hardly call Sakura three-dimensional." Sasuke looked at Kakashi with a bemused grin. Apparently he still saw her as the fawning twelve-year old who'd once stalked his every move.

"What I want to know, Kakashi," the older man started at the deliberate omission of the honorific, "is how long this has been going on." Naruto poked him in the chest belligerently as he swayed slightly on his feet. "Are you really into little girls?"

Kakashi sighed. This wouldn't be the last time he'd be asked that particular question, he knew, but it was already tiresome.

"I'm not, and never have been. Sakura--"

"The thought of you wanting to grope the little girl sitting innocently on your back as you did pushups—" several heads turned as Naruto loudly conveyed information not all had been privy to.

"We only fell in love a couple of weeks ago," Kakashi responded equally loudly. That was true enough. True of Sakura, anyway. There was no need for the assembled crowd to know just how long he had been in love with the pink-haired kunoichi of whom they were so protective. Hopefully, Jiraiya wouldn't show up to spoil things.

"Well, aren't you rushing things, then?"

"He's not getting any younger, you know."

Kakashi cringed at Tenzo's attempt to defuse the situation. This wasn't a May-December romance after all, more like a May-August variety.

"Ah, sweet youth! She'll keep him young. Kakashi, when I think of you and that sweet flower, I just want to cry—" Someone was already wailing. The chidori creator scanned the room to locate the source. It was Rock Lee, unsurprisingly, as intoxicated as he'd ever seen him, although the drunken fist had not yet made an appearance.

"The next five rounds are on me," Kakashi announced, and as expected, the general mood of the room brightened appreciably. It was funny, he thought, how battlefield tactics translated almost perfectly to social situations. When under attack, he'd always found, it was best to do something completely unexpected. And who would have expected a cheapskate like him to run up a bar tab on his friends' and colleagues' behalf?

Kakashi smiled. Maybe the evening wouldn't be as bad as he'd expected.

o…o…o…o…o

"Why can't I stay at my own place?"

Ino sighed in frustration. "It's tradition that you stay with your family the night before your wedding. And we're your family, Sakura, aren't we?"

Sakura smiled as she looked across the dining room table at Ino and at the place vacated, minutes before, by Sasuke. They really were like family. They, Naruto and Tsunade had been there for her over the years, and although she'd been hurt—crushed, really—when Ino and Sasuke had gotten together, she had long since moved past it. They were good for each other, she'd realized long before. They'd each changed for the better under the other's influence, and both had matured into people she was proud to call friends.

"Besides," Ino said with a smirk, "Your true love is busy tonight."

Sakura decided she didn't want to know more, although she was sure Ino had all the sordid details available. Indeed, she'd probably had a hand in planning the event. "So," she asked instead, "tell me what's in store for tomorrow."

"Well, Tsunade will stand in for your mother and father, and I'll be your bridesmaid. It will be a traditional ceremony—the priest from the leaf shrine will officiate, and I think he's bringing three or four miko with him." She turned to her oldest daughter. "I wish Ume was old enough to be a shrine maiden, don't you? She'd look so cute in red and white."

"I didn't know you were religious." It was all Sakura could do not to roll her eyes.

Ino laughed. "I'm not, forehead! But don't you think she'd look sweet?"

"What about Kakashi?"

"What about him?"

"Who is standing up for him?"

"Oh." The look on Ino's face was definitely evasive, Sakura judged. "You'd have to ask him."

If Ino wasn't volunteering information it was pointless to ask, she knew. This wedding was shaping up to be the antithesis of everything she'd ever dreamed. Why was he putting them through this? Why hadn't he even shared the smallest details (or even that it was _occurring_) with her?

Baka. She was definitely going to kill him the next time she saw him. After berating him soundly, of course.

"So what's on the menu?" It was probably a twelve-course meal, knowing Ino—plate after plate of barely edible but amazingly expensive delicacies. Hadn't she served hummingbird tongues at her own wedding?

"Does it matter? It's not like you'll be eating anything."

"Huh?"

"You won't have time. And the bride never eats, anyway. You'd ruin your kimono."

Sakura sighed. "So how long will this last?"

"Well, the ceremony is at noon, but I'd guess the reception will last until nine. Keiko?" A maid scurried in. "Could you clean this up? The girls will be here in just a few minutes—"

"Girls?"

"You didn't think I'd let you get married without a bachelorette party, did you?"

"Who's coming?"

"Oh, just a few close friends."

"No stripper, right?"

"Do you really think I'd subject you to that?" She giggled but just below the surface was that evasive look again.

By a few close friends, Sakura learned, Ino meant every female in the village, or at least every kunoichi. They came laden with bottles of alcohol and brightly wrapped presents. Sakura noticed the distinctive pink wrapping of the village's most notorious adult book and lingerie shop.

She blushed and swallowed hard. She was not looking forward to the next few hours.

o…o…o…o…o

I'd nearly forgotten!" Gai looked up from his fourth bottle of sake and chortled. "Because I lost my wager with you—"

"What wager?"

"That I'd get married first."

"I never made a bet like that with you."

"No. I made the bet with myself." He began to strip down, causing a hush to fall over the room. It was broken, of course, by Naruto.

"You call that a stripper? We need a _woman_. Someone—"

"Someone with Tsunade's figure." The leer in Kotetsu's voice was unmistakable.

"Yeah. But not as scary," Izumo rejoined. A shiver rippled through the room at this.

"Gai? What exactly did this bet entail?" Iruka's voice showed his usual concern.

"Walking on my hands, naked, down the main street and back." He leaned over to stretch, and another shudder wracked the room.

"Count me in!" Rock Lee looked up from the table he'd just demolished and began to remove his jumpsuit.

Kakashi sighed as he picked up a nearby bottle. This would probably be a whole lot easier to tolerate drunk.

o…o…o…o…o

"Go ahead. Try it on." The mirth in Anko's voice was recognizable, but there was something more, Sakura thought, something harder to place. The slightest hint of sadism, perhaps? Why the hell was Anko at her party? The woman gave her the creeps.

"There is no way I'm trying this on in front of all of you." She gingerly returned the snakeskin garment to its lurid pink box. She had no idea exactly what kind of lingerie it was—it was more empty space than fabric, with cutouts in what appeared to be the most inappropriate places. It laced up in the solid areas of what were presumably the front, the sides and the back. In addition, it had lots and lots of boning.

"That doesn't matter, as long as you wear it for Kakashi." The assembled group laughed as Sakura turned the bright red they'd hoped for.

"I told you so," Anko smirked to Kurenai who was trying her utmost to put some distance between the snake user and herself.

"Told her what?" Ino, always eager for a new gossip source, intended to pump this particular well dry.

"That she's a virgin, of course."

"Oh! That's why I bought her this," the blonde responded. "Sakura, open mine next." Unlike most of the gifts surrounding her, this one was a book. Sakura blushed again as she read its title, _1001 Positions_.

A series of whoops and catcalls erupted from those seated closest, followed by murmurs and additional giggles as the news rippled outward.

"I want you to be well-prepared," the blonde said by way of explanation. "Kakashi has a bit of a reputation with the ladies, I've heard." She did her best to maintain a straight face as she continued, "Do we need to have 'the talk'?"

Sakura reached for a package she hoped would be less racy—surely the sweet Hyuuga wouldn't disappoint. "Thank you, Hinata," she murmured as she moved aside tissue to uncover a beautiful silk peignoir. "This is absolutely beautiful."

"It's my p-p-pleasure," the raven haired beauty whispered in response. "After all, I owe you so much. Naruto—"

Sakura beamed at the shy woman. Apparently she'd won the bet she'd made with Kakashi. It would be delightful to rub his nose in it.

"Mine next!"

"No, mine!"

Tenten shoved aside Ayame and Shizune and dropped a small, tissue wrapped package into Sakura's lap.

"A kunai?" Sakura looked at the weapons master in confusion as she pulled the shiny tool from its coverings. It was a lovely tool, but still…

"It's—it's in case—" she broke out in giggles, "it's in case he ties you up too tight—"

"Oh." She unwrapped another. "Vitamins. Geriatric vitamins. For Kakashi, presumably. Thanks, Shizune-sempai." She sighed as she untied the furoshiki covering Ayame's gift. "An instant camera?" She blushed at the implications.

"Well, everyone wants to see just how handsome he is. No one believes me, and I figured you could help settle a few bets."

"I need a drink."

Ino laughed again as she handed her friend a half full bottle of sake. "You should chug it. The entertainment will be here any minute."

o…o…o…o…o

It was late, far too late. A steady rain was falling outside of the smoke filled bar and grill where he'd spent the evening, and Kakashi longed for the warmth of his own bed. Of course, a bed—any bed—containing Sakura would be better still, but he knew that wasn't going to happen. Things were finally quieting down. The twin strippers (personal friends of Genma, he'd learned) were packing up, and as the attention of most of the men in the room was on the still half-clad pair, now would be a good time to make his escape.

"Kakashi?"

"Gai?" He had thought he was still passed out. "Ah. You're among the living again."

"I wanted to ask you… er…"

He looked almost sober, so focused was he on whatever question he was planning to ask.

"You have no family to stand up for you. As your oldest friend, I was wondering if you'd consider…"

This caught Kakashi off guard. He should have realized Gai would want to be his best man. If he had, he would have thought of something to avoid the current awkward moment. If nothing else, he would have high tailed it out of there while Gai was still unconscious. That moment was past, however, and Kakashi was as blunt as usual in addressing his so-called rival. Hopefully, Gai's drunken state would make the news a little easier to take. "Actually, Naruto will be doing the honors. As my sensei's son, he seemed the logical choice."

"You're right." Gai seemed sad, and uncharacteristically so. This was a true, unvarnished emotion. Apparently, the gesture would have really meant something to him, Kakashi realized. But Sakura would likely have a meltdown if a sobbing, overly emotional Gai was standing close by as their vows were recited. He hadn't actually asked his former student to do the honors, as currently Naruto was passed out under a table, but tactically, it was the right thing to do. It would presumably mitigate some of the possessiveness the Jinchuuriki felt toward Sakura after all these years. And as he grew more and more like his father, and less like the goofy, hyperactive boy of the past, Kakashi's respect for the young man had grown as well. Importantly, Sakura would be pleased by his choice of best man, more pleased than she would be when she found out who'd be representing his family.

"But I'm hoping you'll give the first toast."

A toothy smile threatened to envelop the Gai's face. "I'd be honored!" he bellowed in enthusiasm. "Now, how about we have that drinking contest you promised me a while back?"

o…o…o…o…o

"Five more minutes."

"Get up now, Sakura. I've given you five more minutes ten times, now."

"The sun's barely up. The wedding's not 'til twelve, right? Why can't you let me sleep just a little longer?"

The two bottles of sake Sakura had consumed had done their part to dehydrate the young kunoichi, and a pounding headache was the result. Sakura sat up and regarded the cheerful, impatient blonde standing in the doorway. Ino had drunk far more than she. How was it that she wasn't hung over?

"It's seven. Sunrise was at six. You need to get showered and dressed and eat something, as it's the only meal you'll have today."

Sakura groaned. Food was the last thing on her mind right now. She was sure that if she even smelled breakfast she'd throw up. "But the wedding's at twelve."

"Do you have any idea how long it's going to take to get you ready? Your dresser will be at the tournament hall at nine. You need to get moving. She quickly moved to the bed and stripped off its futon. If you don't get up now, you'll be sorry. I'll make you sorry."

An hour and a half later a thoroughly grumpy Sakura arrived at the hall, an exasperated Ino by her side. A short, elderly woman was waiting for them in one of the rooms overlooking the competition area. She seemed sweet at first sight, but Sakura quickly realized she'd misjudged the woman. When she spoke, her words were clipped and preemptory.

"You can get undressed over there. Strip completely, then put on this robe. And don't dawdle. We're a half-hour behind schedule."

"Yes, ma'am," Sakura said meekly. The tiny woman looked like she might bite her head off. She stripped and changed into the thin robe the dresser had provided.

"Your hair is wet. Haven't you heard of the humble invention known as the umbrella?" The dresser huffed in disdain, then pointed to the office chair next to her. "Let's start your makeup." She unscrewed tins of creamy pastes and emollients as Sakura climbed into the chair.

"Pull down your robe around your shoulders," she said as quickly scraped Sakura's hair into a rough ponytail, employing numerous clips and pins to hold back the numerous strands too short to otherwise secure. Next she poured a large amount of a creamy lotion into her palm and began rubbing it into Sakura's neck, back and shoulders. "You should take better care of your skin. It's too dry." She prodded Sakura's chin upwards, and massaged lotion into the front of her neck and décolletage, smoothing the moisturizer into her face as well. Seemingly satisfied, she grabbed the tin of pasty white cream and scooped out a generous dollop, then began massaging this into Sakura's skin as well.

"What are you doing?" Sakura frowned as she observed the dresser.

"Painting your skin." The dresser looked at her as though she were slightly brain damaged.

"Oh." She'd forgotten about the traditional makeup. She'd look like a maiko before the morning was through, she realized.

"Hold still while I do the back of your neck. Although how I'm going to put your hair up, I have no idea. It's too short. Good thing I brought the wigs."

"Wigs?" She heard Ino giggling behind her, and found her fist curling involuntarily.

"Many girls have hair too short for bunkin-takashimada. And if your hair's too short, you can't wear kanzashi, and then the wedding hood will look all wrong." The dresser fussed over her face as she smoothed the thick white makeup into place, then covered all with a fine coat of rice powder. Next she picked up a pot of rouge and sponge and mixed a tiny amount of red into another pot of creamy white. She applied this pale pink color to key areas of Sakura's face.

The kunoichi looked in the mirror. Already she didn't recognize herself. What was the point of all this, anyway? She'd stopped pretending to be someone she was not at the age of twelve. She felt her bad mood intensifying, and out of habit, scanned the room in search of something to smash.

"Now your hands. Raise your arms." Sakura did so, and the dresser deftly covered her exposed skin with a coating of white, then powdered them as well. She next picked up the rouge pot again, and a small brush, and after sternly warning Sakura to hold absolutely still, applied a thin streak of red to each of her upper eyelids. She then applied the same color to a portion of Sakura's lower lip, leaving the top white.

Finally she applied mascara to the kunoichi's eyelashes, and stood back to gaze critically at her work.

"We'll have to do something about the eyebrows," she muttered, as she left the room to wash up.

"What the hell is bunkin-takashimada?"

Ino laughed again. "That's the hairstyle brides wear. And the kanzashi are the gold combs. Want to see them?"

Sakura's eyes widened as she looked at the combs Ino produced from a nearby shopping bag. They were ornate, apparently of real tortoiseshell, and the flowers and dangling ornaments appeared to be made of real gold.

"I think these are the nicest ones in the shop." Ino smiled evilly. "But you did tell the storeowner she could pick out whatever she liked, didn't you?"

"You might as well stay standing," the dresser barked as she reentered the room. "Take the robe off, and we'll get started."

Sakura sighed as she let the robe drop to the floor. She didn't understand how people like Hinata were able to stand being dressed by another. She felt like a doll, or a piece of meat being weighed, then wrapped in butcher paper. It was not a pleasant feeling. She consoled herself with the fact that at least she knew what was coming next, having been through a kimono dressing once before.

The dresser produced the array of undergarments needed to bundle a body into a kimono, and Sakura stood patiently as garment after garment was layered onto her body. Once into the silk naga juban that served as the outermost layer of underclothing, the dresser spun her slowly to appraise her work.

"We'll work on your hair, now. You can kneel here." She pointed to the zabuton she'd placed next to the office chair, and Sakura lowered herself carefully onto the oversized pillow. The reason for the pillow became immediately obvious—she could no longer bend at the waist. She turned her entire body to follow the dresser's motions, and frowned as the dresser pulled several wigs out of large cardboard hat boxes.

"They're black."

"Of course they're black. Not too many Konoha women have pink hair."

"I can't wear that."

The dresser regarded her stonily. "And why not?"

"Because I already don't look like me. I don't see why I'm supposed to look like a hakata doll. I'm the one who's getting married. Me. Sakura with the weird hair color."

The dresser turned to Ino, an irritated look on her face. "We can't use the combs with her hair as it is. It's too short."

"What if I find a pink wig? Could you convert it into some kind of hairpiece?"

"Good luck. I've never seen a pink wig and I've been doing this for almost fifty years."

"I'll be back, Sakura." She turned to the dresser. "Can you work on her kakeshita and shiromoku while I'm gone?"

The dresser nearly growled. "That's not the order in which it's done."

"Please?" Ino smiled her brightest, most pleading smile, then headed out the door without waiting for an answer.

"Stand and hold your arms out." The dresser bustled over to one of several kimono stands and removed a pure white under-kimono. She carefully slipped the garment onto the kunoichi who was doing her utmost to hold perfectly still. It was rare to meet someone with a temper worse than her own, but Sakura was pretty sure the dresser qualified as such. In a half-hour's time Sakura was dressed in the kakeshita, and a pure white maru obi that interfered slightly with her ability to breathe.

"Your friend isn't back, and there's only an hour and a half until the wedding." The dresser looked at her watch as she clucked. "I'm going to get some coffee. I'll be back in ten minutes."

Sakura breathed a sigh of relief as the woman left the room, and walked slowly (long strides were impossible) across the room as she loosed her hair from its makeshift, annoyingly tight bun and fluffed it with her fingers. The dresser was certain to complain upon her return, but Sakura decided she no longer cared. It was obvious there was nothing she'd be able to do to please the woman. Sakura lifted a blind to a window overlooking the tournament hall and sighed again. The room below was decked out entirely in pink and silver. Glossy taffeta overskirts partially obscured the silver satin cloths which covered each table, and Ino's favorite flowers, roses, were the focus of each table's centerpiece.

Sakura laughed wryly. She was sure that in all their teenage wedding talks she'd told Ino about her dream of a black and white wedding. This was… saccharine. But so well-intentioned. And certainly it fit the pattern of the last twenty four hours. Nothing seemed to be going as she might have expected.

This must be a control room, she realized as she looked around for the first time. A large board, covered with switches and buttons dominated the far side of the room, as well as several wall mounted microphones. She half-toyed with the idea of turning them on and making an announcement:

_I'm not coming down until that harridan has left and I've washed my face._

or, perhaps:

_Let's have Korean barbecue instead. Last one to the restaurant buys!_

Her mutinous thoughts were interrupted by an authoritative rap on the door.

"Ino? Come on in," she called, and the door opened immediately.

"I hardly recognize you, Sakura."

She wasn't sure if she should smile or throw a kunai across the room. It was Kakashi, not Ino, looking more handsome than she'd ever seen him, if that were possible. He wore formal hakama of grey-pinstriped black silk, along with a haori of pure black, except for the five white crests that adorned the shoulders and upper back of the garment. His mask was black, and his ever-present hitae ate had been replaced by a simple black silk band. The contrast between the dark of his clothes and the pale silver and alabaster of his skin and hair was arresting. He was soaked, though, she noticed as he shook himself, doglike, sending a shower of droplets in her direction. It must be pouring outside.

"You need to leave," she said, finally. "The dresser will kill you—me-- if she finds you in here—"

"That sweet old woman? I passed her in the hall." He set the garment bag he was carrying on an empty chair and crossed the room to stand before her.

"But it's supposed to be bad luck to see the bride before the wedding. She's a total hard-ass. Why did she let you come in?"

"We're already married. This can't be bad luck. Besides, you'd be surprised by the power of a good tip." She recognized the smirk below his mask and tried her hardest not to smile in return.

"I'm angry at you."

"Why?"

"Why?! You really have no idea? You can't possibly be that clueless, Hatake Kakashi."

"I know you're angry when you call me by my first and last name."

"Didn't I just _say_ I was angry?"

"Well, yes, but you do tend to exaggerate."

"At least I tell the truth!"

"I haven't lied to you." He seemed perplexed, but Sakura knew this was probably an act. He was terribly skilled at feigning innocence.

"Didn't it cross your mind that I might like to know about this huge, out of control wedding ceremony? That I might want to have a hand in planning it?"

"About that. There really wasn't time."

"How could there not be time?" She did her best to control the tears that threatened to spill down her perfectly painted face.

Kakashi moved quickly to her and embraced her. "This was obviously an error in judgment on my part. Or just plain stupidity. But you should know it was with good intentions."

"Which were--?"

"You love this village, and so do I. I want them to accept us. If we came back after eloping, it might not be seen as legitimate—it would seem as though we were ashamed or had something to hide. Having a big showy wedding brings everything out into the open. It shows we're proud to be together—that there's nothing wrong with our union. And apart from that, there was the problem of the book. We were lucky to be able to nip it in the bud—but I put this in place as insurance, in case the book was released before we were able to take care of the publisher. There wasn't time for you to plan the wedding of your dreams. That would take months, wouldn't it?"

"So this was a _tactical_ decision?" He could almost see steam issuing from her ears.

"Our first wedding—our real wedding—was the one that counted for me. I thought you felt the same way."

Sakura was silent for a minute. "It was. It's just that I feel completely left out of all this. Every girl dreams about her wedding. This is not what I wanted."

Kakashi laughed.

"What is so damn funny?"

"Weddings and funerals are the same, you know. They're not for the guest of honor. In fact, the guest of honor really doesn't even get to appreciate them—the bride and groom are too busy meeting and greeting the guests to enjoy the flowers or food, and as for a funeral, the guest of honor is – well, dead. These things are for the friends, the family, the community. That's what this wedding is all about—lavishing attention on them, getting them drunk, giving them a good feeling about us. It's all about them-- the other wedding was about us."

"That's an interesting way of thinking of things. But the booming wedding industry suggests otherwise." Sakura turned to the window and stared down at the busboys and servers who were setting dishes and glasses in place. This was all about control, she realized as she took a deep, calming breath. Ino was right. Anyone else would be thrilled to be treated like a princess. And how many brides had two weddings to the same man? Yet here she was on the verge of a tantrum.

"Promise me one thing." She smiled wanly as she turned back to her husband.

"Anything, Sakura."

"You'll let me plan our tenth wedding anniversary party."

"Absolutely. You can even name our children." He pulled her to him again, and was surprised when she resisted his kiss.

"You have no idea how long it took for that woman to do my makeup. She'll kill me if you mess it up."

"But I want to make love to you."

Her look was incredulous. "You have got to be kidding."

"I'm not." He held his lips millimeters above the skin of her neck, and breathed gently. Sakura felt her pulse increase dramatically. "Who said I had to touch you?"

She shuddered as his breath caressed her lips, her cheeks and the nape of her neck.

"Do you remember that scroll Jiraiya gave me?"

"Hmm?" Sakura was already too intoxicated by his actions to respond coherently.

"The one that talked about advanced chakra control."

"Oh. Right."

"Well, there were a couple of things I still haven't shared with you."

"You're going to--- with-- without touching me?"

"Not exactly. Did you know some women can climax without being touched below the waist? I'm betting you're one of them." He slid his hands so that they hovered just above her breasts and concentrated his chakra above them.

A moan escaped Sakura's lips immediately. She could feel the touch of his lips as they lightly caressed the sensitive skin of her breasts, gently tugging and sucking at her nipples, and opened her eyes in surprise. It was amazing that he could mold his chakra emanating from his fingertips that precisely. His lips were actually resting millimeters above her own, close enough for her to feel the warmth of his breath. Chakra flowed from them as well. Their caress was light but urgent, and she felt her breath growing fainter. Of course that might have something to do with the fabric wound tightly around her ribcage. This must be what it's like to wear a corset, she thought idly, and suddenly realized the purpose of the garment Anko had given her the night before.

"Kakashi, how long is she going to be gone?"

"Relax. She promised to wait downstairs."

Sakura felt her breath quicken as his ministrations intensified and quite soon she found herself on the very edge of total bliss.

"You're close, aren't you? Give in to it. I want to watch you come."

She stepped backward, eager to brace herself against a hard surface, and leaned against the control panel she'd been inspecting earlier.

"Careful. We don't want to put on a show for the people downstairs." He pulled her away from the console and pressed her hands against the window sill. "Better?"

She cried out in response, as she felt reality shatter around her for seconds that stretched on beyond expectation. She slowly opened her eyes to see Kakashi regarding her with a tender expression.

"I love you, Sakura."

"And you know I love you."

"Yes, but I think that's just because of the sex."

She punched him, gently, and rolled her eyes.

"I should be going. I'll see you downstairs in just a little while." The copy ninja headed to the door, then turned around suddenly, a sheepish look on his face. "I completely forgot. There's something else I need to tell you." Sakura looked at him quizzically. "I arranged for Tsunade to give you away—she'll be standing in for your parents."

Sakura smiled. "I already know. Ino told me all about the arrangements last night."

Kakashi immediately relaxed. "And you're okay with it? Wonderful! I knew you'd be okay with Naruto as best man, but I was sure the idea of Jiraiya—"

"Jiraiya???!!!" She grabbed the nearby microphone, and yanked it free from the wall. "I am going to kill you!" He dodged the makeshift missile, though his eyes widened as the heavy, metal object lodged deeply in the door behind him.

"Please. Let me explain."

"The man who was planning on sharing pornographic drawings of me with the entire _continent_ is going to be standing in for your parents? And you think you can explain?" Her shriek was probably audible in every corner of the building, but she didn't care.

"Whom else do I have?"

Despite her fury, she heard something in his voice, a rawness she'd never witnessed before.

"When my parents died it was Sensei who took me in. He treated me like his son, and I heard over and over what a great man Jiraiya was. He'd been like a father to him. And believe it or not, it was Sensei who introduced me to Jiraiya's books."

Sakura raised an eyebrow.

"Though he didn't know it, of course. He thought they were well hidden."

Sakura snorted.

"So, although I've never told him this, I think of Jiraiya as more than my idol. He was my sensei's sensei and a lot of what I am is due to his influence."

Sakura shook her head in disbelief. "But he spied on me, and drew pictures of me."

"For which we've amply repaid him, don't you think?"

The kunoichi smiled in spite of herself. Revenge really had been sweet. She'd flipped when she'd seen the first billboard, just south of Kakashi's home village. Her new husband had tried to divert her attention from the display, which featured a scantily clad pink-haired woman, who thankfully had her back to her viewers. After raging for a few minutes, Sakura had insisted they double their speed to Momijikawa Her anger had barely abated when they'd arrived hours later.

She'd wanted to burst through the wall and trash the place, machines and all, but Kakashi had eventually persuaded her of the logic in casing the place, then waiting until nightfall, when the plant would be deserted. He'd urged her to consider the innocent parties—the employees who might lose their jobs if the presses were destroyed, as well as the publisher who was guilty only of agreeing to produce the work. Besides, he'd argued, the best revenge would be subtle in form. It would be much more amusing for Jiraiya to be surprised personally, than for him to hear the news second hand. He'd urged her to apply her skills and knowledge to devise a plan that would take him by surprise and keep on giving.

She'd agreed and had spent several hours brainstorming the best form of revenge. Thankfully, the scheme she came up with did not take too long to implement. The printing plates were melted down courtesy of several well-placed fireballs, but they would definitely be reusable for other projects. The plant's sole computer was stripped of all related files, and with a jutsu he'd picked up from Sai, the small mountain of posters were modified subtly and rerolled to their original form. Workers entering the plant would not notice anything amiss, and this was critical to the plan's success.

It was the books, however, that were the most fun to alter. There had been several pallets of boxes. From the records Kakashi found on the computer, it was clear that printing had finished, but the books had yet to ship. Sakura had smiled at their good fortune—all the merchandise was in one location. They'd opened one box and noticed that the books were shrink-wrapped, which wasn't surprising given the adult nature of their content. Sakura had gathered her chakra and concentrated, then giggled as the book emitted an inky cloud. She'd then torn open the volume's wrapping and rippled through its pages. It was completely blank. It took minutes to empty the remaining boxes of their text. She'd giggled as she'd considered that it was thanks to the encouragement of Tsunade, Jiraiya's arch nemesis that she'd learned the medical jutsu she'd slightly modified for this new purpose.

"I guess you're right," she said now.

"Think of it as the final flourish to your revenge. He won't know about the books yet—they're not due to be delivered to Konoha until about noon, day after tomorrow."

It wasn't surprising, she realized, that Kakashi knew this. He probably had that information memorized down to the minute.

They were interrupted by a pounding on the partially mangled door. A breathless, dripping wet Ino entered, dresser in tow. Kakashi took this as his cue to exit, but not before Ino pulled out a pink wig with a cheery exclamation.

"Sakura-- it was the strangest thing. I looked all over the village for a place that might have a pink wig—I checked every hair dresser and couldn't find a thing. Then I remembered that store you like so much, Kakashi. I was really didn't want to go in, but then I figured, 'What the hell? Sakura's wedding will be ruined if I don't." So I pulled it together and went inside." She stopped to take a deep breath. "Wow. I was really glad none of the kids were with me." She gave Kakashi a sidelong glance before continuing. "Anyway, they had at least fifty pink wigs." She shook the hair she held in her hands for emphasis. "I couldn't figure out why for the life of me a porn shop would have _pink_ wigs, but then the salesman came up to me and explained that Jiraiya's new book is coming out tomorrow, and that these were some kind of promotional tie ins."

"How strange. I wonder what the book's about? It was nice seeing you, Ino. I think I'll be on my way." Neither kunoichi had seen the man move so quickly outside of a mission.

It _was_ possible to blush through a thick layer of pancake, Sakura realized as she did her best to remain calm. She hoped Ino wouldn't pick up on her embarrassment.

"Anyway, Ino saves the day!" She handed the wig to the dresser. "You look great, Sakura, by the way. But I'd better run or I'll be late. And that's Kakashi's role, isn't it?" She made a hurried exit as the dresser approached Sakura, wig and scissor in hand.

Sakura made it through the next hour of torture, which involved hot irons and copious amounts of sticky wax. She was pretty sure hot glue might be involved as well, though she couldn't be sure. She definitely smelled burning hair several times, however, and decided to close her eyes early on in an effort to shield herself from a sight that would probably induce shock.

She was surprised, then, by the sight that greeted her when she opened her eyes. She did look like a geisha-in-training, but a recognizable, pink-haired one. Her hair curved into the recognizable coiffure of the bride-to-be, and the kanzashi were placed asymmetrically to frame her face.

"You'll be done in just a moment," said the dresser, who smiled for the first time that day. "We just need to arrange your tsuno kakushi, and you'll be ready to go. And not a moment too soon—in fact, we're fifteen minutes behind schedule." She draped the white silk hood over the elaborate coiffure, then surprised Sakura again. "You look lovely, dear, and I'm sure you'll be a beautiful bride. Good luck to you."

o…o…o…o…o

"This isn't so bad," Sakura thought to herself from her position on the dais that had been set up in front of the large stone arms that dominated the tournament hall. "Actually, I don't think I've ever been the center of attention before." She looked over at Kakashi and smiled.

"I've hardly seen you this afternoon, apart from the photographs. And every time I do see you, you're wearing something new."

"You didn't know about the kimono?" Sakura blushed crimson. Had Ino been mistaken about the Kakashi's direction that the "sky was the limit"?

"Just kidding. You're worth every sen, you know. Am I allowed to kiss you yet? That's the last kimono, isn't it? I recognize it."

"It was your mother's, wasn't it?" Sakura smoothed the fabric of the tomesode kimono she wore, its black color and patterning more reserved than the other two garments she'd worn today, but also more suitable, she thought. Apart from the chidori-inspired crests indicating its formality, a small flock of plovers dotted the waves and shoreline that undulated across the hem of the garment. The fact that its design was similar to the shiromoku she'd chosen pleased her greatly.

"I never saw her wear it, but I found it among her things after she died. It was one of the few things I kept."

"I'm honored to wear it, Kakashi."

"It suits you, love."

The afternoon had passed quicker than she'd thought it would, and although she hadn't had even a moment of free time to consider snacking on any of the courses of sea-bream, konbu, lobster, abalone, or the unusual red soup that Naruto had complained wasn't ramen, she had found the time to consume a fair amount of sake. As a result, the room and its occupants appeared a bit fuzzy to her.

"Are you drunk?"

"Never, husband. Never."

"Don't get too drunk. I want you to be able to remember tonight."

"Why?" It was worth asking that to see the wolfish expression that flitted briefly across the exposed portion of his face. She was getting better and better at reading him, she realized.

A din of chiming glasses interrupted their conversation, as a swaying Gai stood up to deliver the first of many toasts. Sadly, it was only half-intelligible, as his speech was badly slurred and interrupted, at intervals, by the moans and laments of his prize student.

"Naruto's is next."

"As best man, shouldn't he have gone first?"

"I needed to give something to Gai. He was pretty crushed that I didn't ask him."

"Oh. So where is he? I haven't seen him around, have you?"

"No. And for that matter, I haven't seen Hinata, either."

Sakura scanned the room. It would be easy to miss Naruto, as he, like the other male guests was clad in black, but Hinata was wearing an uncharacteristically showy (and beautiful) lavender kimono that should be easy to spot in a crowd. Yet Sakura saw no sign of her. She did see Neji, however, and her younger sister. They and Hinata were the only Hyuuga who'd made it the wedding. That was fine with her—the senior Hyuuga rubbed her the wrong way.

"Well, maybe Tsunade will take his turn." Ino, she saw, was already approaching the older woman, who looked regal in the state finery she so rarely wore. Tsunade stumbled to the mic and seemed perplexed when it failed to amplify her voice. A crackling, clicking sound emanated from the room's many speakers instead.

Tsunade didn't need the microphone however, and though drunk, gave a moving speech which brought Sakura to the verge of tears. She knew the hokage cared for her, but this was the first time she'd referred to her as a daughter. All of the indignity of the day was worth it, Sakura realized, to hear how her shishou really felt.

Jiraiya spoke next, and although he had kind words for the couple, and several reminiscences of Kakashi's teenage antics, he spent most of the time promoting his new book. The crowd buzzed when he mentioned that the couple were the inspiration for his newest novel, and the noise increased in intensity when he beckoned to a waiter at the back of the hall, who quickly pushed in a dolly loaded with cartons of books. He passed out the shrink-wrapped copies to the crowd, and Sakura held her breath as plastic was peeled off and virgin pages turned.

The noise of the crowd increased until someone shouted out, "Mine is blank!"

"Hey, mine, too. Is this some kind of joke?"

Jiraiya's befuddled expression was priceless. He blinked several times and turned to Kakashi in confusion.

"You didn't really think we'd let you get away with it, did you?"

"Well, um."

"You're lucky to be alive, you know. Sakura could easily give you a beating worse than the one Tsunade gave you years ago."

Jiraiya paled as he regarded the woman kneeling close by.

"We want the original and any galleys that exist. That book is not going to press again."

"Shit. It's my best work, you know. Can't I at least keep one copy?

They were interrupted by another electronic malfunction. The reader board that Sakura remembered from the first chunin exam was acting bizarrely, its louvered doors sliding open and shut repeatedly. The horrible squealing noise of electronic feedback resonated through the room next, and the board seemed to explode with a random sequence of lights, as though, perhaps, a monkey were operating it.

An amplified voice pulsed through the room next. Although the voice was loud, its speaker was apparently whispering, and its sweetness made it easy to identify.

"Oh. That f-feels—"

Sakura could imagine the blush currently radiating across Hinata's face. Of course, once she realized her conversation was being broadcast to most of Konoha, she would probably faint.

"I've been wanting to do that for a very long time." The husky, overly loud voice they heard next could only be that of Naruto.

A chair scraped, and as if on cue, Neji rose to his feet. Hanabi giggled but remained seated. Kakashi, she realized was giggling, too. But silently.

"Maybe this is his speech," Sakura suggested. This caused her new husband to laugh even harder.

"W- w-when I'm with you, I feel things I've never felt before."

Neji, Sakura noticed, was turning an alarming shade of purple.

"I'm only getting started."

The sound of kissing—vigorous, sloppy kissing—ensued, and Sakura noticed the crowd's attention was engaged completely, more than it would have been for any wedding toast.

"I have something I've been wanting to show you."

A rustling noise emanated from the speakers, and Sakura noticed that Neji looked apoplectic.

"Naruto! It's so b-b-big! I'll never be able to—"

"Sure you will. It'll be a perfect fit. Here, let me show you."

There was a crash and a blur of black as Neji sprinted across the room and up the stairs to salvage his cousin's virtue. The room erupted into a cacophony of speculation and gossip.

"I guess this means I won our little bet." Sakura smiled smugly at her husband.

"How do you figure?"

"Well, if they're doing what I think they're doing, they must have kissed passionately well before now."

"The bet stipulated that he kiss her within a week of meeting her again. It's been far longer than that. And just what do you think they're doing, my sweet little pervert?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

Kakashi laughed unrestrainedly. "He's proposing to her."

Sakura blinked. "What? How do you know?" The wheels spun rapidly within her brain. "You suggested that room to him, didn't you? And you figured he'd accidentally turn on the sound equipment?"

"Shinobi rule number thirty-one: 'Use your environment to your advantage.' Now that they're distracted, we can get the hell out of here."

"Great idea."

"Ready to start our new life together?" He wrapped his arms around her possessively as she pulled down his mask to kiss him.

"I've never been more ready."

The puff of smoke that took their place was barely noticed in the chaos of Neji dragging his future brother-in -law down steep stone stairs, and their absence was ignored in the pandemonium that followed the Byakugan-user's delivery of his 8 trigrams 64 palms technique to a thoroughly terrified Naruto. Although the day would not be remembered as Konoha's most expensive wedding, it certainly would be remembered as the most entertaining.

End.


End file.
